


A Storm is Coming

by Wetsoks



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: BAMF Alex Danvers, Childhood Trauma, Depression, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Kara Danvers Needs a Hug, Little!Lena, Maggie Sawyer big sistering everyone, Non-Sexual Age Play, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Relationship(s), Self-Harm, non conventional relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-04-12 08:05:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19127959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wetsoks/pseuds/Wetsoks
Summary: While fighting the latest National City Villain it's resident superhero gets injured. An injured Supergirl is taken to the DEO where her family swarms around her to help her heal. Though the physical healing is taken care of with relative ease, it seems that the fight has opened up some old wounds that Kara has managed to keep secret from everyone.





	1. Chapter 1

Supergirl flew through the air, the force of the punch hurling her backwards at a frightening speed as her uncontrolled, head first descent towards the earth came to a bone-crushing end as her opponent grasped her ankle and pulled her back into the field of battle. The kryptonite fuelled man slammed Supergirl to the ground before straddling her and using his fists to punch her face over and over again. Supergirl’s hand shot up and stopped the fist hurtling towards her face, clenching as tight as her reduced strength would allow. The man laughed at her as he pushed himself to his feet and shook her grip off as though it were a child’s. Seeing the oncoming kick, Supergirl reflexively rolled to her side and tried to curl into a ball but it did not protect her from the blow to her ribs. The next blow came, and then the next until kick after kick was coming in rapid succession. 

A thunderous boom bounced around the quarry and following the cacophonous sound the blows stopped coming. Supergirl tried to look around to see what was happening but even the slightest move of her head caused black spots to appear in her vision, she groaned. Suddenly there was the roar of footsteps coming towards her, Supergirl steeled herself for a further assault.

“Supergirl!” 

“...A-lex?” she asked tentatively before coughing up blood.

“I’m here Supergirl,” Alex reassured as she rolled her sister onto her back and began to assess the situation. 

The blonde groaned in pain but then attempted to sit up, “No, no, you gotta stay down right now.” Alex said as she tried to gently push the injured superhero back to the ground. 

“Alex, the Boxer?” Supergirl asked knowing that she still had a job to do.

“He’s gone, Vasquez shot him with the cannon and he took off, it’s safe just now, we are trying to track him. STAY DOWN let me help you.” Alex pleaded with Kara. 

Hearing that the bad guy had got away, Supergirl sighed in frustration but stopped fighting her sister about laying back. She took a deep breath and instantly regretted it as she began coughing, the black spots re-appearing in her eyes as her arms clutched at her side.

“Ok, ok ok just keep calm, shallow breaths ok?” Alex reassured as she began treating her, “Vasquez we need a medevac back to home base, tell Dr Hamilton to startup the sun lamps, let her know that I am bringing in Supergirl with kryptonite poisoning and multiple injuries.”

**

Kara woke up a few hours later feeling groggy but very much still in pain, she tentatively looked around the DEO medical facility, scowling at the sun lamps and instantly wishing she hadn’t as she winced at the cuts and bruises still marking her face. She was just starting to wonder why she was still feeling the after-effects of her battle with Boxer when she felt movement in the room, gingerly Kara turned her head to look in the direction of the movement and immediately had to fight down a bout of nausea that made her wish she was still unconscious. 

“Kara, lie still, the yellow sun lamps are working overtime to try and filter out the kryptonite from your system. It’s synthetic kryptonite, that’s all we know at this point, I have contacted Lena and asked her to look at some samples we took, we need to catalogue and counteract the effects it has on you, they are quite different to those we have seen previously.” Alex explained as she went from lamp to lamp to check the settings for possibly the one-hundredth time that afternoon. 

Kara groaned, “Alex gonna be sick…” Kara rolled onto her side as Alex quickly hit the yellow sun lamp kill switch and pushed them out of the way while grabbing a sick bowl and thrusting it towards an already heaving Kara. She swept her sister's hair out of her face and soothingly rubbed Kara’s back. 

“I wanna go home,” Kara whined in a small voice as she pushed the sick bowl away from her and curled into Alex’s side. Alex made a placating sound as she helped Kara lay back down, stroking her forehead and doing all she could to offer comfort. 

“I know, I know pretty girl, it's like you’ve had a solar flare, but it will get better,” Alex promised blindly, “It is going to take time, but I am right here and Maggie is coming too, you are not going to be alone.” 

Kara let her sister soothe her fears as her eyes slipped closed again. Alex let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as she continued stroking Kara’s head tenderly. Once certain that Kara was getting the sleep she needed Alex stepped away from the bed, rearranged the yellow sun lamps and activated them again. She began again to review the readouts from the battery of tests she had ordered on her sister and tried to figure out what was different, why Kara was so sick, and why her injuries weren’t healing. 

“Babe?” Maggie spoke softly from the doorway, Alex had not even heard her approach. 

Alex didn’t turn to face her girlfriend, but simply bowed her head trying to hold back the wave of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her as she let out a very shaky breath. “I...need, I need to figure out why the yellow sun lamps aren’t working, I need to get these results to Lena,” her voice trembled as she refocused on the multiple screens in front of her. 

“Alex,” Maggie said adding a bit more force into her voice, “Come here Babe?” she asked and as though Alex had been waiting for permission, she spun and all but threw herself into Maggie’s arms. “I got you,” Maggie reassured Alex as she pulled her girlfriend into her and held her tight. “I saw the news, you should’ve called, I would have been here much sooner,” Maggie explained. 

Alex sighed again and allowed the floodgates open, tears streamed down her faces as she folded herself under Maggie’s chin. “She’s usually healing by now, something’s wrong and I need to figure it out.” Alex sobbed.

“Hey, hey, listen you said Little Luthor is on it right?” Maggie asked, and Alex nodded, “Okay, right so you don’t need to figure anything out on your own. You, WE, just need to take care of our girl right?” Maggie ran her hand up and down Alex’s back, not really expecting a response. Maggie placed a kiss on the top of Alex’s head and then looked over to the other important person in her life, sucking in a breath as she ran her eyes over the unhealed injuries. 

The detective stepped towards the bed but Alex pulled her back, “You can’t touch her while she is under the lamps Maggie,” she told her, “The rays will hurt you.”

Maggie stepped back towards Alex, “Are the lamps doing any good? She looks hurt but she also looks green Alex, like literally green.” she exclaimed. 

Alex sighed and stepped back towards the screens, “The Boxer was using a form of synthetic kryptonite and it’s a version that seems to be resistant to the yellow sun lamps, and while she is under the effects of the synthetic kryptonite it’s making her sick AND stopping her from healing the injuries she received during the fight. Dr Hamilton had to do emergency surgery for a collapsed lung, Kara’s never had surgery before, she’s never been in pain this long, never been this sick, Maggie, what if she…” Alex was spiralling quickly.

“Hey, shhh.” Maggie tried to reassure her partner, “We will take care of her, right?” Alex nodded.

“Will you sit with her while I go check in with Lena?” Alex asked and Maggie was nodding before she even finished asking the question.


	2. Chapter 2

Maggie sat and stared at Kara’s battered form and wished that she could hold her hand or stroke her face. Not sure whether she wanted to do so in an effort to comfort Kara or herself she just knew that she wanted to. 

 

She sighed and tried to settle into a more comfortable position as she kept watch over a piece of her heart and contemplated how she got to this moment, how to even define this moment or even if she needed to. Running her hand through her hair, Maggie cursed under her breath and closed her eyes as she cast her memory back a few months.

 

_ Maggie slipped her key into the lock of her girlfriend’s apartment as she juggled the pizzas and beers in her hands, turned the key and pushed the door open. Putting the beers and pizza on the counter she turned to retrieve her key from the door and kicked it shut with her foot. She looked over to the couch before pausing at the sight before her. Alex was huddled on the couch under a mop of blonde hair that was shuddering with silent tears.  Maggie’s heart broke a little as she stepped over to sit on the arm of the couch, she leaned down and placed a kiss on each sister’s head. _

 

_ “Hey Danverses,” she spoke softly, “rough day?”  _

 

_ Alex smiled in Maggie’s direction but kept her hold on Kara, Maggie reached over and gently stroked Kara’s head. “Oh Little Danvers, we are here for you.” she offered and the genuineness in her voice surprised no one in the room.  _

 

_ Kara sat up and held her arms out to Maggie as though a child wanting to be picked up, Maggie slid onto the couch in the space between Alex and Kara and pulled Kara into her arms, gently speaking words of comfort to her in Spanish. Kara held onto Maggie, sobbing softly. Maggie knew what was wrong, she didn’t need either of the sisters to tell her that Kara had not been able to rescue someone, that it brought back the memories of losing her own family, her people, her planet. It didn’t happen often, Kara pushed herself to the absolute limit to ensure that she rescued everyone, sometimes she pushed herself beyond her limits and Alex and Maggie would have to step in to get her to take a break. Maggie wasn’t sure which was worse, the sobbing mess on her couch whose heart was breaking, or the ball of super-powered frustration that Kara became when she exhausted herself.   _

 

_ “I brought pizza for dinner, think you could eat Little Danvers,” Maggie asked and smiled as she felt Kara nodding, “Good job kiddo, we can eat pizza, put on The Wizard of Oz and just have a couch night, how does that sound?”  _

 

_ It was never discussed that Kara regressed into a childlike state when her emotions got too much for her to handle, it didn’t need to be discussed. It just was. Alex had warned Maggie that she and her sister came as a package deal, Maggie accepted that without knowing what it meant and the more time Maggie spent with Alex and Kara, the fonder of Kara she became. It wasn’t long before Maggie took her share in the big sistering of Kara, and in turn, Kara started bringing stuff to Maggie, asking for help, sharing feelings with her before they became overwhelming. _

 

_ Maggie was worried that Alex would resent the fact that Kara would share secrets with her, but she couldn’t have been more wrong, Alex was proud of both Kara and Maggie. Proud that they were bonding, proud that Kara was coming to trust Maggie the same way she trusted Alex, proud that Maggie stepped up seamlessly into the role of mentor, protector and big sister to Kara.  _

 

Washing her hand over her face, Maggie changed positions on what had to be the DEO’s most uncomfortable chair and glanced up as the door to the room opened. She gave a small but reassuring smile as Alex walked into the room followed by Lena Luthor. “How is she?” Alex asked stepping over to the monitors to review the information.

 

“She’s been resting since you left,” Maggie told her girlfriend but she was keeping a close eye on Lena who, defying nature, seemed to get paler at the sight of Kara. “You guys have an update?” she asked bringing Lena’s attention away from the injured woman on the bed and onto the syringe that was in her hand.

 

“Yes, well we hypothesize that the composition of the synthetic kryptonite used by the Boxer was batched in a manner that has caused this specific reaction. Whether or not this is intentional or just an idiot with a chemistry set who has made an error is yet to be determined.” Lena explained.

 

Maggie glanced between Alex and Lena, “You mean like a bad batch of heroin?” she asked trying to process what Lena was telling her.

 

“Exactly!” Alex said, “In a heroin overdose we would counteract the effects with Narcan, Lena has developed this substance that we are hoping to counter the effects of this version of synthetic kryptonite.”

 

“That’s great news, and so fast!” Maggie said enthusiastically.

 

“Well Astra showed it was possible with the suits she created for her people that were kryptonite resistant, Alex gave me one of the suits and it was a small task to reverse engineer the suit, find out why they worked and then built on that to create the ‘antidote’. It was simple biochemical engineering made slightly more challenging because of the xenology aspect.” Lena explained nonchalantly.

 

“Yeah, yeah we get it Little Luthor, it was easier than the Times crossword puzzle for you, but you need to have a little more fun kid.” Maggie responded, “now let’s see if this magic soup you cooked up works.” 

 

Lena was moving about the room, putting yellow sun lamps aside and preparing the syringe of the substance to inject into Kara, she leaned down, “just a small pinch darling,” she warned before injecting Kara with what she hoped would counteract effects Kara was experiencing. 

 

Alex and Maggie flashed each other a smile as, even in her sleep, Kara turned her head towards Lena’s voice. The two older women had a running bet as to who between Kara and Lena would make the first move towards romance, Maggie was Team Lena all the way. The detective was confident that the youngest CEO in National City would conquer this challenge and soon. Alex, on the other hand, backed her sister, sure Kara was clumsy when it came to feelings, but she also was known across for the planet for achieving everything she set her mind to. 

 

Kara groaned but, visibly, she looked less green, it was working and the women in the room could see that it was working. Lena began to fuss around Kara, checking vitals and making sure she was comfortable, setting up the yellow sun lamps again. Alex wilted into Maggie as both women noticed bruises subtly lightening, their girl was healing. 

 

“It’s working!” Alex exclaimed, treacherous tears leaking from her eyes again, “a few hours under the sun lamps should heal her up.” 

 

Maggie pulled Lena into the hug she was sharing with Alex, the three women incredibly relieved that their efforts taking care of Kara, studying the synthetic kryptonite and developing an antidote had paid off. That they were able to support, protect and watch over Kara. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning I guess - please check the tabs
> 
> Also if me portraying Kal-El as a bad guy or Mon-El and James Olsen as a bit emotionally abusive are gonna offend you you should quit reading now. 
> 
> I don't have a beta so if you are interested let me know

 

Kara shot up from the bed, breathing heavily and sweat pouring off of her. She gasped trying to fill her lungs with much-needed oxygen as she looked around the darkened room desperately trying to make sense of the blurred images around her but the panic coursing through her made that increasingly more difficult. 

 

Alex and Maggie were snuggled together on an armchair that J’onn had arranged to be moved into the medbay so that someone could comfortably watch over the recuperating superhero. Alex stirred and stood before she knew why she was awake, looking around the room she quickly realized that Kara was panting and crying, reflexively she stepped towards her sister. 

 

“Kara, sweetheart you are safe,” Alex said as she made her way over towards her sister who was now huddled on the floor, pressing herself into the wall.

 

Kara flinched away at the movement to her side of someone coming towards her and the panic she felt tripled. She fell to the floor as she propelled herself off the bed in an attempt to keep herself safe from her presumed attacker. Maggie, also now awake, sat very still so as not to startle Kara further but her eyes flit around the room looking for a threat, just in case before her eyes settled on the blonde on the floor.

 

Alex leaned down but didn’t touch her spooked sister, just continued offering soft reassurances in a low voice in an attempt to talk her down.  Unfortunately, Kara did not seem to be calmed by Alex, the opposite, in fact, the superhero whimpered and tried to scoot further away from Alex. 

 

“Babe maybe give her some space?” Maggie said softly pulling on Alex’s arm to pull her back from Kara. Alex let out a low whimper of frustration as she examined her sister, pupils were blown, eyes unfocused and clearly still living the nightmare that had woken her up. 

 

“Kara, it’s ok sis, you are safe here, I am here and Maggie’s here and you are safe,” Alex reassured and she looked to Maggie for help.

 

“Hey Little Danvers, take your time, we are here just tell us what you need when you are ready” the detective spoke quietly turning and pulling Alex against her rubbing a comforting hand up and down her arm. “Alex deep breaths, you have to keep calm if you want your sister to calm ok,” soothing her girlfriend and hoping that removing the focus from Kara combined with the tones she was using would help the panicking Kryptonian come to the understanding that she was safe. 

 

Bringing her knees up to her chest, Kara let out another sob but she listened to Maggie and Alex quietly talking, as the brunette talked Alex through some deep breathing exercises Kara followed the instructions as well, slowly bringing her own breathing under control. After a few deep cleansing breaths, she started to recognize that she was in the medbay, that she had had a nightmare and that she was with her family. 

 

“Alex?” Kara squeaked quietly still trying to fight through her confusion but she held a hand out to her sisters.

 

The elder sister crouched down and grasped the hand that Kara held out, “We are here Kara and you are safe.”  Alex pulled Kara into her arms, Maggie kneeling down beside them and joining in the hug both giving Kara the time and space she needed to further calm herself. 

 

The tearful superhero spoke shakily “I think I...I had a bad dream,” 

 

“I think you are right Little Danvers, you wanna talk about it?” Maggie responded tenderly. Vigorous shaking of blonde hair clearly indicated what Kara thought of that idea. “Ok, that’s ok. You don't have to. How about we get you up off this cold floor and onto the bed hmm?” she continued and at the slight nod she got in response Maggie stood and helped both women to their feet.  

 

Alex straightened the blankets pulling them back, helping Kara into the bed and then climbing in beside her. “There we go, that’s better right?” she asked her sister pulling up the blankets over both of them.  

 

“Maggie?” 

 

“Right here kid,” the detective explained as she dragged the armchair as close to the bed as possible, settling herself into the chair she propped her feet up on the bed making sure that they were touching Kara’s legs, “I am not going anywhere and neither is Alex, we will keep you safe, so think you can get a little more sleep?”

 

“No, I wanna go home” the scared woman let out quietly.

 

“Shhhhh, it’s ok, you are safe here,” Alex responded, “You don't have to sleep, that’s fine, we can just lay here and rest ok? It’s Maggie’s turn to read right? so we can finish off Goblet of Fire.”

 

Pulling out her phone and opening her ebook app Maggie quietly began to read. 

 

***

 

Slipping out of the bed Alex made eye contact with Maggie and the pair quietly stepped out of the medbay but remained within sight of Kara through the window. Alex was rubbing her forehead as though this small act might somehow alleviate the stress she was feeling at the situation.”God Maggie, I know what this is, I’m a soldier, I’ve seen enough PTSD to last a lifetime and then Kara, my sister…something isn’t right” she took a deep breath, “I saw her Maggie, she wasn’t in the room with us, she had completely dissociated!”

 

“Ok slow down, you are spiraling Danvers,” Maggie reaches out and takes Alex’s hand and places it on her own chest, “breathe with me.” The two women stood together practicing breathing for the second time in as many minutes and it seemed to calm Alex some. Maggie gently placed a kiss on Alex’s forehead, “Sweetie, Kara has been through something traumatic today and I don’t mean fighting the Boxer ok? Of course, she is going to have nightmares after she got hurt, she needed surgery and she didn’t just bounce back from the fight. So it is only natural that she is going to take a minute to recover mentally from that. Look we don’t talk about this, and I am not sure why, but we both know that Kara doesn’t handle her emotions well on the regs, the regression to being a kid when she is in a safe space...it’s not a problem that’s not what I am saying at all, there is nothing wrong with it, and it doesn’t mean something is broken with her, it just means she heals differently, as Lena heals differently, and as you and I do.” taking a breath Maggie squeezed Alex’s hand as it continued to press against her chest. “Look, maybe I should have had this conversation with you and probably Kara a while ago, but I have done this job long enough to recognize when someone is recovering from a bad childhood.” 

 

Alex stepped back and it was clear that she was winding up to tear Maggie a new one at the implication, the detective gently placed a finger over the agent's lips and took a deep breath to explain, “Wait, wait, just let me finish. I am not accusing anyone of anything, I am not saying that you didn’t protect her I am just asking you to think for a minute, Kara came to your family at what 13?”  

 

“Right,” Alex confirmed.

 

“Right, and when she got to you she was traumatized from the loss of her planet and everyone she had ever known, which is a normal reaction if there is such a thing as a normal reaction to what Kara went through.” Maggie sighed for a moment and tried desperately to steel herself for what she was about to say. “Alex, Kara told me she was 12 when she left Krypton, she was stranded in the Phantom Zone where time doesn’t pass until her pod broke loose and crashed to earth.” 

 

“Where Kal-El found her and brought her to my parents.” Alex finished for Maggie a look of confusion on her face as she couldn’t grasp what her partner was trying to get it, but a part of her didn’t really want to understand either, “Maggie what are you getting at?”

 

Sighing again and hesitant to speak out loud what she had suspected for a while but kept to herself, “If her parents put her in the pod when she was 12, the pod was trapped where time doesn't pass then crashed it on earth then how was she 13 when Kal-El dropped her off at your house?”

 

“Kal-El loves Kara...he would never…” Alex took a deep breath attempting to control her emotions, “Clark told us that he taught her English and explained how things worked here on earth so that she could fit in with us a little better, he...he wouldn’t,” it sounded weak, even to her own ears.

 

Maggie pulled Alex towards her, holding her close trying to offer comfort at the same time as her words were cutting deep. “Look, long before I became a detective in the Science Division I was a detective in the Children and Families, the dissociating, the regression, the puppy-like desire to people please, the wanting to ensure everyone is safe, the fear of being abandoned or rejected, the string of men in her life who she let emotionally abuse her, they are all classic signs of someone who has been through a particular kind of abuse as a child.”   

 

A sob escaped Alex’s mouth, her hands flying to cover it as though she might be able to somehow pull it back. She pulled away from the arms offering her comfort, feeling she did not deserve any comfort at that moment, instead she turned to watch the sleeping form of her sister through the window of the medbay. “Kara would have told me,” Alex protested vehemently then she spun around, desperately clinging to any thought in her brain that would mean that she didn’t have to believe what her lover was telling her, “we are sister’s, she would have told me!” she insisted.

 

Stepping up behind Alex, pulling her back flush against her front, Maggie lowered her voice, “Do you really think she knew how or even understood what had happened?” she asked, her own heart breaking just as much as the woman’s in front of her was, “We can help her though, similar to how we helped Lena get in touch with her Little Luthor side, it’s gonna take time and patience but I think it’s important for Kara that we get to the bottom of this don’t you?”

 

Alex pulled away from her girlfriend’s embrace, she was angry, not at Maggie, maybe not even really at herself, she just knew that she needed to escape, to put some distance between her and Maggie so she could think (and maybe punch something). To put some distance between her and her sister. Alex turned and looked at Maggie, and that look conveyed so much more than words ever could, it said ‘ _ this hurts!’  _ and _ , _ ‘ _ I don’t want to think about this,’  _ and  _ ‘I pray to God you’re wrong,’  _ but most of all it screamed ‘ _ I am terrified you are right.’  _ and  _ ‘I need space right now.’  _  Alex’s eyes flicked over to her sister again and then back to Maggie’s and the look she got from the detective was more silent communication,  _ ‘I know, love,’ and ‘I love you both,’  _ and  _ ‘I will be here for you both,’  _  Maggie nodded once telling Alex to go clear her head, letting her know that she would watch over Kara until she returned and letting her know that there was no judgment.  

 

Alex turned and walked away and Maggie wiped her face clear of tears, took a deep breath and re-entered the medbay, making her way over to the bed Kara was resting in and settled into the chair by the bed, reaching out and taking Kara’s hand, smiling as the superhero squeezed it lightly in her sleep, “We’ve got you, kid, we’ve got you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am mostly writing this for me it's kind of an assignment from my therapist, but it's for you too so let me know any thoughts you have, I enjoy reading your comments. 
> 
> Don't get used to this posting schedule though as I can be a little unreliable so I will just do what I can when I can


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so thank you all for the kind comments, they definitely give me a happy feeling when I see them pop up.
> 
> I had to update the tags a little as the story went in a direction I wasn't really planning on so please do have a quick glance at the tags and make sure it's still your jam.
> 
> Still looking for a beta, let me know if you're interested.

“Again!” Alex panted.

 

J’onn set his stance and attacked again his agent deflecting in a classic textbook method, countering every attack he made almost as soon as he thought about it. The Director landed on his back hard, Alex landing on top of him and pinning him instantly to the mats. 

 

“Again!” She said as she sprung to her feet.

 

J’onn rolled over, his genetic makeup already regenerating his skin where bruises were forming. The Director did not hesitate, simply trying a new tack as he lunged for Alex again, not minding that she was taking her frustrations out on him, better him than another agent, he knew she was frustrated at the situation and when frustrated she needed to physically wear herself out before she could deal with the emotional strain and so he steeled himself and lunged for his agent again.

 

“Director! Umm...ah...oh god,” Winn Schott entered the room and was speaking before he even realized that Agent Danvers had the Director of the DEO pinned to the wall in a throat hold. J’onn tapped his submission on Danvers' arm and Alex immediately released her superior, spinning towards Winn with murder apparent in her eyes silently willing Agent Schott to explain himself, “ah...sorry to interrupt your Thunderdome reenactment here, umm you asked for an update if we tracked down Boxer,” he stuttered nervously. 

 

Alex relaxed minutely, finally a problem she could solve, an issue she could do something about, a way to protect her sister, “You’ve found him?”

 

“I did,” Winn smiled and then went on to explain, “well to be exact I have located the only other emissions in National City that match the exact version of synthetic K that took down Supergirl.” Winn brought up a tablet and swiped the display to show his findings to the two people in front of him. 

 

Alex looked to J’onn for permission to proceed, he gave it with a somewhat reluctant nod, “Two teams Agent Danvers you lead Alpha team and get Vasquez to lead Delta team. We move in 30 minutes,” J’onn commanded. 

 

“Yes, sir!” Alex snapped out she turned to Winn, “I need to check on Kara and tell Maggie where I am going, can you let Vasquez know?” she asked.

 

“S...sure, I can do that,” Winn replied. 

 

Alex stepped out of the room and headed towards the medbay, grabbing her discarded long-sleeved shirt and using it to mop sweat from her brow. Her step was quick as she now had a mission that she could complete, she listed the steps in her head, check on Kara, tell Maggie, suit up and bring in Boxer.  It was a simple to do list and one that she knew she could complete it gave her focus, it gave her solace. 

 

The agent’s eyes scanned the room cataloging every reading and detail she, found the results reassuring. Finally, her eyes landed on her sister and her girlfriend, one resting peacefully for once, the other sitting at the bedside looking up with love on her face. Maggie got to her feet, pocketing her cell phone as she stepped over to Alex, embracing her. 

 

“Ugh babe I’m sweaty,” Alex protested quietly. 

 

“Yes, you are,” Maggie replied coyly, “I love it when you are all sweaty.” she reached up onto tiptoes and kissed Alex, pouring love, support and a little bit of lust into the kiss. Alex responded in kind for a moment, then pulled hesitantly back, letting her hand run down Maggie’s arm and grasping her hand. 

 

“I have to go take care of something,” Alex explained quietly, almost shyly and silently imploring Maggie to understand.

 

“You found _H_ _ im _ .” Maggie's words were a statement, not a question, she glanced over to Kara still sleeping on the bed, as though just thinking about the man who injured her so badly might disturb her, thankfully it was not the case. 

 

“Yeah, Winn found him, Vasquez and I are taking a team each and a few doohickeys we didn’t have in the last fight. Hopefully, it will be enough to take him down so that she doesn’t have to go up against him again,” she explained gesturing to the recuperating blonde.

 

Maggie jumped in, “I get it, you don’t have to explain. Of course, I don’t want you to go, look at what he did to her.” Maggie walked over to the doorway, mindful that their emotional talk may disturb the resting superhero. “But, if there is something we can actually do to protect her, then we _have_ to do it and if that means you going out there with a team so that she stays safe, then I want you to do that.”

 

Smiling as tears tracked down her face Alex let relief flow through her as she realized that the detective truly did understand, was telling her to do what she needed to do and wasn’t trying to stop her, her love for Maggie warmed her chest. 

 

“I...I really want to go with you, you know to cover your six, but,” Maggie looked over at Kara, “I don’t want to leave her right now if you are going on an op.”

 

The warmth in her chest spread through to her fingers and toes, “God I love you,” Alex said lunging at Maggie, their kiss taking them the remaining steps out of the room before they parted, “You watch Kara and let Vas watch my six,” 

 

The brunette knew that her redheaded girlfriend didn’t trust many people with Kara, especially a vulnerable Kara, so she simply nodded in agreement, succumbed to one last kiss and then watched the love of her life charge off towards immeasurable danger. Despite the fear she was feeling for the safety of one of her most treasured people, she let a small smile grace her lips, cheeks still flushed from the kiss, exhaling she stepped back into the medbay to resume her vigil by Kara. 

 

***

'These hallways were beginning to get too familiar' Lena thought as she maneuvered through the DEO to traverse the distance from the lab she was working in and towards the medbay where Kara was recovering. She did want to see Kara, but more importantly, Lena needed Maggie or Alex right now. Lena snapped her focus to the sound of her heels hitting the floor, on putting one step in front of the other, anything but focusing on her feelings at the moment because she knew that her need for Alex or Maggie right now drove feelings of guilt and shame and those feelings sped her psyche to a place that it wasn’t safe to go here in the DEO. The shame was because of the fact that she needed comfort this way, that she needed comfort at all, her mother had taught her that to need comfort was weakness and shameful. The guilt because the need for comfort felt selfish while Kara was recovering from such horrific injuries. 

 

With all this in mind, Lena knew that running to the couple who primarily took care of her in _that_ headspace was probably not the best idea that she had had, but she also hoped that one of them would know how to ground her and keep her in the place she needed to be, at least until they could get to the apartment that Kara shared with her sister and Maggie.

 

Reaching the medbay the CEO stopped, finding it difficult to take the step over the threshold, she took a deep breath but still couldn’t bring herself to open the door. Taking a deep breath she put her hand on the door handle but could not muster the courage to open it. Lena scolded herself, she brokered million and sometimes billion dollar deals, held thousands of people’s livelihoods in her hand and yet she could not find the strength to open the damn door.

 

Maggie looked up at the sound of those heels in the corridor, the footfalls had ceased but Lena hadn't come into the room, sensing something wasn't quite right, Maggie stepped over to the door and opened it.

 

Suddenly the door opened the handle being pulled away from Lena’s grasp, she yelped in surprise and went to step back but was pulled into an embrace instead.

 

“You’re ok Little Luthor,” Maggie whispered reassuringly, “I got you,”

 

Lena tried to say Maggie’s name but just whimpered instead. 

 

“I know baby, I know.” Maggie glanced around the corridor they were in to ensure that there was no one around to overhear as she whispered soft words, “I need you to hold on for me, just until Alex is back from her op and is cleared ok? Can you do that for me?”

 

Lena let out a quiet sob, “I don’t think I can,” she confided into Maggie’s shoulder, “I’m dropping so fast,” 

 

“You are a good girl for telling me and for coming to find me.” Maggie praised as she looked around, saw an empty office that would work. She took Lena’s hand leading her into it, shutting the door behind them and locking it. Maggie left Lena standing by the door and dropped the blinds in the office, before sitting in a nearby chair and pulling Lena onto her lap. 

 

“Talk to me baby, you’ve never dropped out of your when it wasn't planned before, at least not outside our apartment, what's going on hmm?” Maggie asked as she gently rocked Lena in her arms.

 

“S...s...scared,” came the pitiful response from the precious Little in her lap.

 

“Ok, that’s ok,” Giving the Little as much reassurance and validation as she could take. “I know it’s a lot of changes for you and everyone is worried about Kara, but she is doing much better.” 

 

“I wanna play with Kara,” Lena mumbled.

 

Maggie grinned, “I know baby, I do too, and we will all go play soon,” she affirmed. 

 

“You promise?” the Little asked quietly. 

 

“Yeah baby, I promise,” Maggie promised. 

 

For a few moments, they just sat there Little Lena absorbing all the comfort she could from Maggie. The comfort, acceptance, and love allowed Lena to center herself, getting grounded in the here and now and giving her clarity of mind to get into the appropriate headspace again. 

 

Taking another deep breath Lena sat up from the safety of Maggie’s arms, “I’m feeling better now,” she told Maggie, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment as she stood up, stepping away from Maggie. 

 

The detective examined the vulnerable woman in front of her using many of the skills she learned as a part of her job, she cataloged the flush of Lena’s face, eyes cast to the floor, back turned to Maggie with distance between them and fidgeting nervously with her fingers, her nails digging into her palms. 

 

“I am glad that you are feeling better Lena,” she knew that Big Lena would not appreciate any terms of affection or names that would remind her of the childlike state she sometimes slipped into, “I am so happy that you came to me when you needed help.”

 

Lena glanced quickly over to Maggie trying to determine if the statement was honest, upon seeing what she needed to see she lowered her gaze to her hands examining the crescent marks her nails were leaving and focused on breathing. 

 

“Lena, we’ve talked about this, you don’t need to be ashamed of coming to us for comfort when you need it and you don't need to be ashamed of the way you need to get that comfort.” Maggie stepped in front of Lena and took her hands in her own, lifting them up to her lips and gently kissing them. “Talk to me, please?”

 

“Kara was terribly injured and Alex needed my help to get around the synthetic kryptonite, then Winn needed help with some tech for Alex’s suit,” Lena explained, she took a deep breath, “but then…” she paused and couldn’t seem to find the words to continue but Maggie got the gist.

 

“But then all the work was done and we had to wait for Kara to heal and wait for Alex to come back safe and in all that waiting you had nothing to focus your mind,” Maggie spoke so softly, “You got scared because your mind wandered to 'what ifs' and 'could have beens'.”

 

Exhaling Lena nodded once before lifting a hopeful gaze in Maggie's direction. The detective smiled at the woman in front of her, “I can see how that would get scary for you and you didn't know how to deal with those emotions so it caused you to start dropping into your little headspace." Maggie explained, not so Lena could understand it, the woman was brilliant she probably already understood the logic, but she needed the validation and Maggie gave it to her in spades. "I have an idea, why don't you come sit with Kara and I. We can read aloud to occupy your mind but relax at the same time, what do you say?”

 

Looking up shyly, Lena liked the idea, a lot, but something was holding her back, Maggie could read the tension in Lena’s shoulders, the hesitation behind the CEO mask she had slipped on between one blink and the next and knew she just needed to push just a little, but in the right way. ”I know, even if she is asleep, Kara will like to hear our voices, it will help her control her super hearing as it comes back. We would be helping her out?” Maggie’s sentence ended in a sort of sing-song note that she hoped was convincing. Lena nodded letting out a breath she probably had no idea she was even holding. Maggie smiled taking Lena’s hand in her own as she unlocked the door and lead her across to the room that she was now referring to in her head as 'Kara’s room'.

 

Lena settled on the edge of the bed by Kara’s legs, Maggie took up her post again in the chair by the bed, fishing out her cell phone and scrolling through the ebooks, picking something new that Kara wouldn’t mind missing but would hold Lena’s attention. She finally settled on The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin, Maggie read the first chapter before handing her phone over to Lena to begin the next. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said before this is for me but it's for you too so if you have something specific you want to see then drop me a note and I will see if I can fit it in.
> 
> More Kara focused next chapter :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still unbeta'd but hopefully, that will change after with the next chapter

Consciousness seemed to be just about within her grasp but was a hairsbreadth away. Kara could hear the sound of someone’s voice, melodic and relaxing, making her want to open her eyes and not want to at the same time. She was floating, Kara was sure of it because she felt so good and that was so different to the last time she was awake. Trying to shake herself out of her sleepy state the blonde let out a moan and tried to sit up. 

 

“Kara!” Lena gasped out, letting the screen of the phone she was reading from go dark, she moved to try and support her friend, “easy does it,” 

 

“Hey kiddo, you are looking better,” Maggie said as she went over to the side of the bed and brushed the hair from Kara’s face. 

 

Kara looked around the room and felt a jolt of panic at what or rather who she didn’t see, “Alex? Where is Alex? Maggie? Lena? Oh, Rao is she safe?”  Kara swung her legs over the side of the bed and was pulling wires off of herself.

 

“Wow, slow down Kara,” The detective put her hands on Kara’s thighs to stop her from moving around, she ducked her head working hard to make eye contact with the panicking woman. “She is safe, she is on a mission and Alex is safe.” 

 

“No! Maggie, you let her go after the Boxer? Alone?” Kara pushed her way to her feet and immediately went weak in the knees. Luckily Maggie and Lena were right there and caught her before she hit the deck.

 

“Kara Zor-El Danvers, get your ass back in that bed RIGHT NOW!” Alex instructed from the doorway. All movement in the room ceased for a moment as stunned faces all stared at the doorway and the woman in it. “Now Kara!” Alex reaffirmed then headed over to begin to reattach the removed wires to her sister as Maggie helped her lay back down. 

 

“Dude you got full named,” Maggie whispered and Lena tried to stifle the giggle that escaped from her mouth. 

 

“Alex you’re here!” Kara exclaimed not fighting Maggie or Alex’s attention. 

 

“Yes I am here, no Maggie didn’t ‘let me go alone’, Vasquez and the rest of Delta team covered my six and yes we captured the Boxer, he is in containment as we speak getting checked in and I have a mountain of paperwork to do,” The Dr in Alex had her checking her sisters pulse, heart rate, and other vitals while she spoke,  “So I need you to stay in bed and rest while I do the paperwork and Maggie helps me with some NCPD forms. Lena, can you keep Kara company for a little bit longer while Maggie and I do that?” 

 

“Yes, of course,” Lena responded as she smoothed the blankets back over Kara’s body and took up Maggie’s position in the chair by the bed. 

 

“Thank you, Lena!” Alex said as she made some notes on a tablet, “Once Maggie and I are done with the paperwork we can all go home” she looked at Lena as she said this, “together, ok?” 

 

Lena smiled and nodded, feeling a blush creep up her face at the knowledge that even though Alex had not been here to see her wobble she still knew that she would need some support after all the stress and high emotions of the situation, it made her feel loved and cared about in a way that she never had felt before. 

 

Alex leaned down and placed a kiss on her sister’s head, “I am glad you are feeling better, just a little bit more rest and then we will get you home, please be good?” she asked only half joking. 

 

“Fine!” Kara said as though she was being asked to endure some form of torture, “But I am hungry so don't be too long ok?”

 

“You got it, we can order pot stickers and pizza to arrive home just after we do!” Alex replied easily before squeezing her sister's hand and then walking out the door, Maggie hot on her heels.

 

The two walked the corridors at a steady pace neither of them speaking to each other. Maggie wondered what was going on since never before had Alex needed her help on any paperwork but she knew better than to have what could potentially be a private conversation in such an open space, so she bit her tongue and followed Alex into her office. Similar to what Maggie had done earlier in the previous office with Lena, Alex locked the door, closed the blinds and then took a seat on the sofa. 

 

Taking a deep breath Alex looked up and spoke her mind to her girlfriend, “I think that Lena needs to stay with us for a while, she’s got to be emotional after the day she has had and I am expecting her to drop anytime now.”

 

“She started to drop earlier,” Maggie explained joining her girlfriend on the couch, “I was able to give her enough care to get her through but yeah you are right, I don't think her being alone is an option for the foreseeable, her coming to stay is a good idea.”

 

“You were right earlier,” Alex started, “when you said that there were some conversations that we hadn’t had that we probably should and I am sorry to spring this on you now but I think we need to have them now before we go any further because I have to keep Kara as a priority here, and I feel like Lena needs to also be a priority and somewhat kept in the loop, But we haven’t talked about any of this so I need to know you are up for this because Maggie a storm is coming and I need to know that my shelter and the girls’ shelter will always be there.”

 

Maggie reached over and took her girlfriend's hand, “Al, I am all in babe, I promise.”

 

Alex started to cry, “You need to be sure Maggie because I think you are right, I think he hurt my sister and she has been hiding it all this time and she is going to need a strong support system around her just to get her to admit it. It’s going to take hard work”

 

Wiping her lovers face Maggie confirmed, “I’m all in Alex, I will help you and Kara through this and Lena too. We can all help each other one big family ok?” 

 

Alex nodded and threw her arms around Maggie, “thank you.” she whispered.

 

“This is not something you need to thank me for,” Maggie replied, stroking Alex’s head as she prepared her next words in her head. “Alex, remember when we started to get a bit more adventurous in bed and before we did anything new we had a conversation about limits?”

 

A confused look fell upon Alex’s face, “Yes, but I hardly think this is the time for any of that.” she scoffed hoping that Maggie wasn’t really serious. 

 

“Actually we do need to have a conversation about our relationship, limits, and boundaries right now, just not about sex.” The detective plowed on seeing that Alex was at least willing to hear her out, “We need to make sure that we are on the same page, you and I, but we also need to make sure that Lena and Kara are on the same page too.”

 

It made sense to Alex, this was not the most conventional situation so there is nothing wrong with getting a bit of clarity under these circumstances, “ok do you want to start?”

 

Maggie loosened her grip on Alex, letting her sit up. Both ladies rested their backs against opposite arms of the couch so that the pair were facing each other, “Ok,” Maggie started as she swept some of her own hair behind her ear, “I love you, Alex, so much and I am happy to be a ‘big’ for Kara and Lena, I am happy to bring them into our relationship in that way, as long as it remains as a caretaker role as long as they both need, but not sexually and not as a mother figure - those are hard limits.”

 

Screwing up her face at the thought of having sex with anyone outside of their couple Alex confirmed, “the sexual aspect would be a hard limit for me too, I’m already Kara’s sister and she has my mother so I wouldn’t want to take that role either for her, for Lena,” Alex thought for a moment, ”I would be ok with taking on a mother role for Lena but I think  _ she _ would find that idea unpalatable so big sisters who play and support their younger siblings?” 

 

Noticing that Alex had broke eye contact with her Maggie reached out and lifted Alex’s chin, “Don’t hide from me Alex, I get this is a bit of a weird conversation but you don’t ever have to hide from me ok?” Alex smiled and nodded, “Big sisters then,” Maggie confirmed. 

 

The concept wasn’t unheard of and of course, the ladies still had to speak with Kara and Lena but it felt good to have the clarity. Alex leaned over and softly kissed Maggie before laying her head on her girlfriend’s chest, “Good so we should sit down and talk with Lena and Kara and let them know what we are thinking, then we need to talk about what we are going to do about Kara.” the agent had slipped into her to-do list mode again but Maggie let it slide.

 

“There is another aspect that we need to have a think about as well,” Maggie said hesitantly, “I think we need to tell J’onn and Lucy something, not just in their roles as CO-Directors of the DEO but because we might have to take measures to keep Kara safe from Kal-El and don’t even get me started on how we might go about seeing justice done, if that is even what Kara wants, it’s not like our legal system is set up to deal with criminal Kryptonians and if we were to keep him imprisoned here at the DEO well that might take away a safe place for Kara and I really don't want to do that.”

 

Thinking about the grenade that Maggie had just thrown at her, rather than panic and run from the conversation Alex slipped her hand into Maggie’s entwining their fingers, forcing Maggie’s hand out of the clenched fist she was holding. “We need to look after each other too Maggie, we are both going to get angry and upset at the hurt both our girls have had to deal with.”

 

Maggie ran her thumb across Alex’s, “You are right, which is another reason to bring J’onn and Lucy into the circle, if they know what is going on they will be better placed to help us and I do think we will need to go to our extended family to deal with this.” 

 

“Not without the girls' consent,” Alex said firmly.

 

Bringing the agents hand up to her lips the detective lightly kissed their joined fingers hoping the action would soothe some of the anxiety Alex seemed to be feeling. “We won’t do anything without everyone’s consent, I promise,” she reassured. 

 

“We haven’t even had it confirmed yet but just the suspicion that Kal-El has touched my sister fills me with murderous intent, Maggie it scares me,” Alex confessed quietly. 

 

“That is a perfectly natural reaction babe, but you gotta take those feelings and turn them into love and support for the girls, don’t let hate consume you, don't let them win.” Maggie counseled, knowing that she had had more experience with this sort of thing than her lover, and knowing still that she left children and families because she couldn’t deal with her own dark hatred for the kind of monsters that committed these acts but she knew she had to be strong for Alex and their girls.

 

Alex sat up and looked at Maggie, she had felt a shift in her girlfriend but couldn’t quite put her finger on what had caused it, “I love you, Sawyer,” she whispered. 

 

“I love you too Danvers” Maggie replied instantly, a smile taking over her face because she really did love Alex with everything in her. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your comments and Kudos I love them even though I am not great at responding, please do keep them coming as the motivate me.


	6. Chapter 6

Maggie let her mind wander as she navigated the SUV through the streets of downtown National City towards their home. Alex and she had moved into a new apartment six months ago and knowing how important it was for the sisters to be close, there had been a room set aside for Kara. Oh, she still had her loft because there were times when she and the couple needed their space, but more often than not the trio stayed at the new apartment. 

 

After a rocky period between Alex and Maggie with the discussion of children the pair often found it easier to involve Kara in some of their relationship discussions, mostly because of her sunny disposition and unending optimism but also because they found that they were most likely to keep discussions rational when Kara was there to offer a perspective outside of their couple. Similarly, Alex found herself in the referee role when Maggie and Kara had their differences of opinion (usually law enforcement procedure related) and there had even been the odd occasions when Maggie weighed in on sister feuds, de-escalating some arguments and putting a stop to others.

 

It was not always sunshine and rainbows, three strong independent women all staying under one roof and often working together as well, but the trio made it work. When Kara started to talk about Lena Luthor it seemed like a natural progression to start having her friend around to spend time with her sisters (as Kara lovingly referred to thier trio) and over time Lena became a good friend of all three women. 

 

Maggie remembers clearly and fondly the first time she felt more like a big sister to Lena than a friend, it had all happened so naturally that it was not until after that she began to realize that Lena needed big sisters as much as Maggie needed to be a big sister.

 

_ Setting her beer on the coaster on the coffee table, Maggie paused Netflix and headed towards the door, checking the time on her cell phone and frowning. She wasn’t expecting her girlfriend or her sister home for a couple of hours yet and so she hadn’t ordered dinner. Subconsciously glancing at the side table to check her gun was there Maggie stood on her tiptoes to look out the peephole and see who was knocking on the door. At seeing the figure on the other side of the door she scowled trying to recall if she had invited Lena over and forgotten, she was sure she hadn’t.  _

 

_ Quickly turning the lock and pulling the door open the detective in Maggie was instantly at work examining Lena as she greeted her. “Hey Luthor, you ok?” Red eyes, hairs not quite captured in the ponytail, fingers fidgetting, creased skirt, nope something was definitely wrong. “Come in, come in,” Maggie exclaimed as she gently reached forward and pulled Lena into the safety of her home. _

 

_ “I am so sorry for disturbing your evening,” Lena explained, looking at the floor as she did so fingers fidgetting, “I was hoping to see Kara.” _

 

_ Maggie frowned, emotions were not always her forte but she could practically feel the distress radiating off the woman in front of her so she steeled herself to get out of her comfort zone and stepped to put an arm around her friend, “Yeah Kara and Alex are out getting groceries, I am sure they will be home soon, why don’t you come sit with me and I will pour you a drink?”  _

_ Lena looked around nervously, guilt gnawing at her stomach at clearly having disturbed Maggie, “Oh no, I am sorry, I should have sent a text message to Kara before just showing up, I don’t want to intrude on your relaxation time.” she explained. _

 

_ Maggie smiled and scoffed gently, “I was having a beer and watching friends re-runs, you aren’t disturbing me, in fact, I would welcome the company!” not giving Lena the opportunity to escape she ever so gently steered the woman towards the couch and urged her to sit down before going to the kitchen and pouring some of Alex’s good scotch into a glass and texting Alex and Kara to come home as soon as they could before presenting the drink to Lena. Tucking her leg under her butt, Maggie sat on the couch with her body angled towards the distraught woman beside her and watched as she took a sip of the drink, savoring the burn.  “So, work, romance or family?” she asked. _

 

_ Closing her eyes, Lena quickly tried to calculate a way out of this situation she really did not want to burden Maggie further, however her body and emotions betrayed her and a tear slid down her cheek, reluctantly she whispered, “family,” and took another sip. _

 

_ Nodding Maggie took a deep breath, “I feel you. You want to talk about it?”  _

 

_ Lena had gone on to open up about how she had been visiting her mother in jail, they had regular chess matches together and though she was no fool and made no assumptions as to why her mother wanted to spend so much time with her she had found out today that her mother had wanted Lena to use her power and influence to get Lillian moved to another jail. Lena had been devastated to learn that she had allowed herself to be, yet again, manipulated by her mother in the hopes that she might get a little love from her.  _

 

_ Alex and Kara had quietly slipped into the apartment half an hour later to find Maggie holding an almost inconsolable Lena. Kara glanced at Alex looking like the proverbial deer in the headlights at the sight of her best friend (crush) so upset while her older sister glanced at Maggie hoping for some sort of explanation.  _

 

_ Rather than talk to the women who had entered the apartment Maggie had continued gently rocking Lena in her arms and holding her tight whilst soothingly saying, “oh Little Luthor, I am so sorry your mother has tried to manipulate you this way, but I am so proud of you for recognizing it, you didn’t fall for it even for a second and that tells me how incredible you are.” Maggie glanced over to Kara and Alex for a second, feeling a little unsure about how vulnerable she felt so not even able to guess at how vulnerable Lena must feel, “I know its not the same kid, but I hope you know that I love you like a little sister and you never have to question that.” Alex nodded at Maggie, “ I also happen to know Alex feels the same way and Kara. We are so happy to have found you and made you a part of our family.” _

 

_ Kara sat herself on the other side of Lena and rubbed her back while Alex sat on the floor and took one of Lena’s hands in her own, squeezing gently, “Yep, we love you and you are stuck with us. You know what they say about Danvers sisters, we should come with a warning, add Maggie into the mix and maybe it should be a couple of warnings!” _

 

_ Despite herself, Lena Laughed at Alex’s joke, she felt her face flush with embarrassment at realizing what a state she had allowed herself to get into but before she could think about apologizing or extricating herself the group she was interrupted by Kara’s stomach rumbling, all four women laughed.  _

 

Maggie smiled at the memory, still wondering if Kara’s stomach could rumble on command as she pulled the SUV into the parking garage of their building and pulled into one of their parking spots. She made a mental note to leave for work with Alex in the morning so that the pair could return the borrowed SUV and pick up their bikes at the DEO. Or maybe they would all stay home tomorrow and collect the bikes another day, they would be safe enough where they were. Opening the rear driver's side door, Maggie offered a hand a very tired Lena helping her keep her balance as she climbed out of the car noting that Alex was struggling a little to wake up Kara. 

 

Once Lena was out of the car Maggie pulled her phone out and started to place a food order, “so sleepy little aliens don’t need potstickers right?” she called over to Alex.

 

“Yes, they do!” Kara yelped as she all but threw herself out of the car.

 

Maggie winked at Alex who snorted and sent a wry smile back at her goofball of a partner before the trio joined Lena at the elevator. As the lift ascended to their floor no one was in the mood to chat it seemed and in the silence Maggie let her mind wander again. 

 

_ The Danvers sisters had been arguing over something or other for days and Maggie had not relished the idea of game night while it seemed the pair were already waging an all-out war with each other, which is why she had stopped at the toy store on her way home and picked up a couple of jigsaw puzzles. She had already spoken with Lucy who agreed that she and James could use a date night instead, Winn had already bailed because of a project at work, the same project had J’onn unavailable as well and since Ruby had late soccer practice Sam too had declined the invitation. This left just Maggie, Alex, Kara, and Lena able to attend game night and Maggie felt certain that Lena was as tired of the bickering sisters as she was so was sure she would go along with a puzzle rather than actual games. _

 

_ When she presented the 1000 piece Disney themed jigsaw to the other three women they had all stared at it then her with equal looks of confusion and disbelief. It turned out Lena had not ever completed a jigsaw, Alex saw right through Maggie’s plan, and Kara, well Kara just agreed to go along when Maggie presented her with her very own portion of potstickers. Not half an hour later Maggie sat back with a very self-satisfied look on her face as Alex was quietly working at fishing out all the edge pieces, Kara was sorting the rest of the pieces into piles by brightly colored character and Lena was piecing the edges together, the CEO’s grin getting bigger with every match made. It wasn’t much longer after that when the Danvers’s were actually working together to locate certain pieces and it seemed a week of arguments had been forgotten as the pair cried in triumph at locating particularly tricky pieces.  _

 

_ “Maggie this is so much fun!” Lena exclaimed as she completed another section of the edge of the puzzle. _

 

_ Grinning back at Lena, Maggie raised her beer in salute to the woman's obvious delight while Kara praised how well Lena was doing, “Great job with the Lion King Lena, can we work on Lilo and Stitch now?” _

 

_ Lena’s face fell for a moment, “I don’t know which ones they are.” she said a little embarrassed and not sure why. _

 

_ “You haven’t seen Lilo and Stitch? It’s my favorite ever!” Kara exclaimed before turning pleading eyes to Alex. “Can we put it on?” _

 

_ Feeling more than a little self-conscious at what was going in, what she was participating Lena snapped “I am not a child!” and though her voice was laced with anger both Alex and Maggie saw something else on her face, fear of rejection maybe or shame?  _

 

_ Alex reacted instantly, “Kara, you get the movie good to go and Lena and I will go make some popcorn ok?” Alex was out of her seat and offering a hand to help Lena up off the floor before Lena could continue her outburst, the pair trotted over to the kitchen and began to quietly make popcorn.  _

 

_ Because the apartment was so open plan, Alex and Lena simply had the illusion of a bit more privacy, to add to that illusion, Kara sat directly in front of the tv and set about pulling out her copy of the Lilo and Stich DVD while Maggie made her way quietly over to the kitchen.  _

 

_ “It’s not like you to snap at Kara Lena, what's going on?” Alex was asking.  _

 

_ Lena sighed, she had thought for a moment that Alex would have let it go, she should have known better, “I just, I was having fun and it made me realize some of what I had missed growing up with Lillian and Lionel and...it made me feel very little for a moment.” Lena mumbled her explanation.  _

 

_ Maggie had been surprised at the honest confession and was incredibly curious to see how Alex would handle it, she wasn’t disappointed with how her partner responded. “You can feel little with us anytime you need to Lena.” _

 

_ “No, I can’t,” Lena said quietly staring at the floor for a moment before realizing that Alex was awaiting a little bit of elaboration. She took a deep breath and tried, “Even when I was little I was told to be more grown up, that games and Disney movies were for the poor and weak minded. I know now that's not true but she’ll find out and…” she broke off a little tearful.  _

 

_ “...and what Lena?” Alex asked so softly as she placed a hand on Lena’s to stop her from clenching her fists as she could see the woman was hurting herself.  _

 

_ “I’ll get a spanking,” came the whispered and broken response.  _

 

_ Everyone in the room tried to ignore the crack of the DVD case that had just been snapped in Kara’s hand. Alex pulled a very tearful Lena into an embrace and made eye contact with Maggie, the couple silently conversing about how they were going to proceed. _

_ “Come sit down with us,” Alex said and led Lena back over to the couch. _

 

_ Maggie rescued the popcorn from the microwave and set it on the counter before going over and sitting on the arm of the couch to join her girlfriend and Lena, Kara was sat on the floor in front of the couch trying to convey love and compassion in just a look. Alex made eye contact with Kara silently asking permission to talk about something personal and Kara gave that permission without a moment's hesitation.  _

 

_ It was Maggie who spoke, “Lena, we love you." She paused letting that statement stand on its own for a moment before continuing, "I want to make a few things clear here. One: what happens in this home stays in this home and is none of Lillian Luthor’s business ok?”  Lena nodded in response, no one was sure that she believed it but it was a start, “Two: we are not going to let anyone hurt you if we can possibly help it. Kara, Alex and I are your family now, we will love you and we will protect you.” Maggie paused and waited for Lena to nod in acknowledgment again before finishing, “Three: no one, and I do mean no one, is lifting a hand to you to spank you or otherwise without your express consent, and if they do you deal with it how Kara taught you or you come to us, ok?” she paused again waiting for the confirmation again that Lena understood. Maggie slipped off the arm of the couch because she wanted to be at eye level for the next part, “We love you,” she repeated, “You are family and we will protect you. I will repeat this to you as many times as you need to hear it until you believe that.” _

 

_ Lena had cried at that, she desperately hoped that they were done and the focus could be taken away from her, she felt so small, it reminded her of the day Lionel and taken her to Lillian and she didn’t like it.  _

 

_ They were not done though. This time it was Alex who picked up the conversation, “Lena, it’s ok that you feel little with us, there is nothing wrong with it and anytime you need to be little you can come to us and we will keep you safe and let you play or give you hugs or anything else that you need, because I don’t think you have ever had that opportunity and it is something that everyone needs, play is how you learn, it helps you feel good about yourself as a person and it helps you learn to better handle your emotions. Play allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment just like you did with the jigsaw, it teaches people to see things from another perspective and it is a safe way to feel loved and cared about. You didn’t get the chance to do that when you were growing up and I feel so honored that you felt safe enough here tonight that you let yourself feel little and play with us, thank you.” Alex was smiling at Lena. The CEO couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but oh how she wanted to, that much was written all over her flushed face, she looked young and vulnerable and hopeful. “Anytime you want to be little, you can come here and play, and you don’t need to worry about what we will think, because it is a fact that all we will think is that we love and support you. You don’t need to feel guilt or shame or any of the other feelings you might be associating with this because this is **normal** , I promise you. And if you still have doubt then we want you to know that Kara plays all the time here with us and Maggie and I support her when she needs it, some times it is in the form of video games or a game night, but sometimes it is in the form of couch cuddles with us, or ice cream popcorn and movies. Trust us, Lena, we won’t let you get hurt.” _

 

_ Lena was stunned at Alex’s speech, her mind filing away everything that she and Maggie had said, she lifted her eyes to Maggie, then to Alex and she wanted to believe it but one person in the room had been very quiet so she dropped her gaze to Kara. _

 

_ Seeing that she had Lena’s attention Kara beamed at her encouragingly, “So Stitch is an alien and he gets sent to Hawaii where he meets Lilo and her big sister! It's really cool and we can watch it while we finish the puzzle, wanna play with me?” she gushed out.  _

 

_ Still stunned Lena nodded and climbed off the couch and made her way back to the puzzle while Kara started the movie. _

 

Maggie smiled as the elevator doors opened and she proceeded her family to the front door of the apartment and knew exactly why her mind had drifted to that memory, she had bought two jigsaws that night and knew exactly where the Jurrasic Park puzzle was. Smiling to herself she unlocked the door, opened it and held it open for everyone else.”We’ve got this Danvers,” she said with so much confidence even she believed it. Maggie leaned forward and kissed Alex quickly before turning to the living area and making her way over to the couch.

 

“Yes, I think we do,” Alex responded as she followed Maggie over to the couch.

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some people have asked about the timeline here - I am totally playing with it! imagine this is all post season 3 but Lucy never disappeared J'onn is Director of the DEO, Lucy is Assistant Director and Alex is next in line. Sam doesn't go to Metropolis after the reign stuff. Mon-El is married to Imra and they have gone back to the future though there is some discussion of their past relationship and how abusive it was. James and Lucy are in a relationship. Hope that answers some questions. 
> 
>  
> 
> Trigger warnings in this chapter for:  
> discussion of ptsd flashbacks  
> body memories  
> panic attacks  
> self-harm

Alex reaches over and grabs a slice of pizza and then relaxed back on the couch and watched Kara and Lena who chose to sit on the floor in front of the TV to watch The Land Before Time, both munching happily on pizza. Maggie was in the kitchen fixing drinks for everyone. 

 

Handing an unopened soda to Alex, Maggie stepped over the tangle of legs to hand Kara a glass of apple juice before crouching in front of Lena and holding out a sippy cup filled with water to her. Lena scowled at the proffered cup then glanced over at Kara’s juice before looking back pleadingly at Maggie.

 

“No dice Kid, we all know if you drink juice this late you will be bouncing off the walls and up half the night,” Maggie explained as she held out the sippy cup. 

 

Lena’s bottom lip trembled and the full-on meltdown that Maggie and Alex had somewhat expected seemed to be on the way, that was until Kara piped up, “Water please Maggs,” as she held up the untouched glass of apple juice. 

 

Alex was there exchanging the juice for water before Maggie could blink, Lena tucked her bottom lip back in and took the sippy cup that was being offered to her into her free hand, not quite able to take the scowl off her face. Maggie smiled at both the girls in front of her and ruffled Kara’s hair,  “You are good girls, both of you,” she told them and that seemed to be enough to get rid of the scowl.

 

Joining Alex on the couch Maggie grabbed some pizza herself and grinned at Alex, it was nice to have a little bit of normalcy, even though they both knew it couldn’t last. At least things could settle for the next hour or so before they would have to have a chat with the two women in front of them. 

 

Kara glued her eyes to the screen and sporadically lifted her pizza up to her mouth, but only a part of her brain was focusing on the movie in front of her. She was tired and wanted to go to sleep, but at the same time was terrified to go to sleep. Kara hadn’t told her sisters or Lena about the nightmares she was sometimes having, even when she was awake. She didn't want to worry them any further and Lena had clearly been struggling for a while and needed to be in her little mindset so she didn't want to spoil that for her by being a burden. So Kara let her mind wander to the cartoon on the tv and stuffed her fear and anxiety down as deep as she could knowing that she had to hide what she was feeling, had to hide that for some reason she didn't feel safe in the company of her sisters and her best friend. The superhero knew it was ridiculous, she was the strongest person on Earth, there was no reason not to feel safe, she was home with the people she loved who would protect her at all costs. Alex had protected her as long as she had known her, Kara just wished that she had known Alex just a little bit longer, then she wouldn’t feel so disgusting. She snapped the thought off as soon as it formed, pushed her feelings down further and tried to bring her mind back to the dinosaurs on the screen, but she couldn’t. Kara had let her mind wander back to when she first met Alex. Her hand in Kal-El’s, her skin absolutely crawling.

 

Alex’s hand on Kara’s shoulder ripped her from her thoughts and she jumped in surprise. When had Alex got off the couch? Why had Alex got off the couch? Oh, Rao, did they see? Did they know? The startled blonde shot to her feet, knocking the potstickers that were being offered to her out of Alex’s hand as she did so but not caring, she darted to the bathroom, slammed and locked the door and sat with her back against it. 

 

Alex and Maggie looked at each other as Alex began to pick up the fallen potstickers. Lena tilted her head to the side before announcing, “Kara’s crying,” as she pointed in the direction of the restroom.

 

“We know sweet girl,” Maggie said from the couch and she held her hand out in Lena’s direction. “Come up here a moment,” she patted the couch beside her and nodded to Alex who went to look after Kara. 

 

Now Lena’s bottom lip really was quivering as her little self realized that everything was not ok, “Did she not get better under the sun lights?” Lena asked in a small voice as she climbed up on the couch and cuddled into Maggie. 

 

“The sun lamps healed her body, but we think that the bad guy made Kara remember something that hurt her mind a long time ago and remembering it is upsetting her,” Maggie explained her and Alex’s theory in the simplest terms possible.

 

“Oh,” Lena said turning over in her little mind what Maggie was telling her, “I don't like when Kara is sad,” she informed her caretaker.

 

The detective sighed and gently placed a kiss on Lena’s head before rubbing her arm, “I know baby girl, I don’t like it either.” she consoled. 

 

“Should I give you big Lena?” the little asked in a very small voice. She was not even sure she could pull big Lena out of her head, but for Kara, she would try.

 

Maggie kissed Lena’s head again, “What is the rule in this house Little Luthor?” she asked.

 

“No judgements. I don’t hafta be any age or any way I don't wanna be,” Lena recited.

 

Maggie smiled at the way Lena always parrotted this back to her. It had taken her and Alex a long time to get Lena to acknowledge and accept this rule so she took every opportunity she could get to reinforce it. “That’s right, so no you don’t have to give us big Lena. You have had a difficult day though and I promise you Kara is gonna be ok, Alex and I will look after her.  But I do think that it is time for bed for you, little one as it has been a long day. What do you say, I will read you a story?” 

 

Lena nodded and, already in her jammies, she got up off the couch and held a hand out to Maggie so she could lead her back to the bedroom she slept in when she was little. The room was between Kara’s room and the couple’s since Lena often reverted to a much younger age than Kara. Lena point blank refused to label the room as hers, though Alex and Maggie were working on that, but for all intents and purposes it was Lena’s room, it had space bedding and was decorated in soft pastel colours, there was a bookcase filled with books, a telescope by the window and toys carefully stored in a toy box in the corner. Maggie smiled as Lena bounced into bed but left the covers down so Maggie could climb in beside her. She went over to the bookcase and chose a book, then went and turned out the big light and switched on Lena’s nightlight so she wouldn’t get afraid during the night, as she got into the bed she also turned on the lamp by the bed so she could read about ‘The Dinosaurs Who Came to Tea’ to her little charge. 

 

Before she could get started reading though Lena looked up at her through sleepy eyes, “Maggie?” she asked quietly. 

 

“Yeah Kid?”

 

“Will you tell Kara and Alex ‘night night’ from me?” the little one sounded very self-conscious as she asked the question. 

 

Maggie smiled, “Yeah Kid, I’ll tell them.” 

 

“Maggie?”

 

“Yes Lena,” came the ever patient response from the detective.

 

“I love you guys,” Lena announced as she rolled over and settled in to listen to her story. 

 

“We love you too Little Luthor,” Maggie said then opened the book and began to read.

 

***

 

Knowing that Lena was in safe hands with Maggie, Alex put the retrieved pot stickers on the coffee table and followed Kara’s rapid exit towards the bathroom, taking a deep breath as she did so. She gently knocked on the door, willing her heart not to break at the sounds of the sobs coming from the other side of the door, “Kara, can you let me in please?” she asked and waited for a response.

 

“I’ll be out in a minute,” came the watery reply, but Kara made no signs of moving. 

 

“Talk to me sis, tell me what is going on,” Alex’s plea floated through the door as she listened to her sister start to hyperventilate through panic. 

 

Kara’s world was spinning. Were it not for the door at her back she would have sworn that either she or maybe the entire bathroom was moving, maybe it was? She felt dizzy. And panicked. And no matter what she did she could not get her lungs to fill with the very oxygen she needed. Kara clawed at the skin on her arms that was crawling as she frantically looked around the room for the danger, for  _ him _ . But she was alone, safe in the bathroom of her sister's apartment,  _ he _ was not there, so why could she feel him? Her stomach rolled in revulsion at the sensations her body was experiencing and she lunged towards the toilet and began to vomit up the pizza she had eaten.

 

Hearing the sounds of her sister throwing up Alex was astonished, she did not even think that Kara had ever been sick. She reached up above the door frame and retrieved the quarter that she and Maggie had left there after Big Lena had once gone into the bathroom and dropped into her little headspace, leaving Little Lena locked in the bathroom and afraid. 

 

“Kara, I am coming in.” Alex’s fingers grasped the quarter and slotted the edge into the lock, a quick twist and the lock opened. Alex turned the door handle and the relief that she felt at gaining access to the room soon dissipated when she saw her sobbing sister, hanging over the toilet bowl vomiting again, but still clawing the skin off of her arms.

 

Learning from her mistake in front of the TV Alex clearly announced her presence by talking calmly but firmly to her sister, “Kara, it’s ok, I am here and you are safe,” she promised, but she did not touch the distraught form in front of her. 

 

Kara made no move to show that she even register that Alex was there, her breathing now very erratic as tears streamed down her face. Alex grabbed a clean cloth and dampened it with cool water, “Kara, I am just going to wipe your face with this wet rag is that ok?” Almost imperceptibly Kara nodded as she struggled to regain control of her breathing.  

 

Very slowly, Alex wiped Kara’s mouth free of vomit before folding the cloth over to a clean section and wiping sweat from Kara’s face. “That’s it Kara, slow breaths, try to hold it for 4 seconds before letting it out,” Alex coached and demonstrated the breathing technique as she did so.

 

Putting the cloth aside, Alex sat on the floor, reached over and pulled Kara towards her, her younger sister instantly pressing her ear against her chest, listening to Alex’s heartbeat. Alex let out a small sigh of relief as she felt Kara begin to relax into the rhythm of her own heart. She reached down and grasped both of Kara’s hands in her own to try and prevent her from scratching herself further. 

 

Squeezing her little sister’s hands reassuringly Alex surreptitiously examined the arms that Kara had been scratching as she continued to coach Kara on how to regulate the breathing, they were bleeding but not alarmingly so, they were red raw though and would need some care later on. 

 

Alex and Kara had learned during Kara’s teenage years that while she was practically invincible to most anything on Earth there were a few exceptions to that rule and Kryptonians were one of those exceptions. Meaning that Kara could scratch her self and cause accidental skin damage hence the acne scars on the side of her face (yes even superheroes got acne as teenagers). 

 

As Kara began to calm some more Alex took the still wet rag she had discarded earlier and began to tend to the scratches on her arms, one-handedly, while the other hand held Kara tight. Kara did not flinch during this and Alex still was not even sure that Kara was present in the bathroom floor until the blonde lifted her head and looked Alex in the eye for a moment, her face flush from throwing up then sobbing and possibly a little embarrassment too.

 

“Tell me what you need Kara?” Alex asked softly as she swept hair out of the vulnerable woman's face.

 

Kara dropped her gaze as her face seemed to go even redder with embarrassment, “Umm, when I threw up, I peed.” she mumbled. 

 

Alex nodded understandingly,  “A lot of people do, it’s not the nicest feeling when your body rebels like that, how about I run you a nice bath?” she asked.

 

Kara nodded but when Alex reached forward to start the tub, Kara clutched at her and whimpered, “No! Please don't leave me, please,” but this was instantly followed by “m’sorry, m’sorry, m’sorry,” and more tears. 

 

Alex pulled Kara tightly to her, “No need to be sorry, we can just sit here for a few minutes and then when you are ready we can run the bath.” she explained.

 

Kara nodded and tightly clutched her sister. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the reviews - they make my day


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am neither a lawyer, an American nor a military person so I am just making all this up as I go

Maggie slipped out of Lena’s bed and pulled the covers up, tucking the sleeping tot in before tenderly placing a kiss on her forehead and turning out the bedside lamp. She left the door slightly ajar and walked the length of the hallway standing in front of the closed bathroom door and listened. Maggie could hear Kara sobbing and Alex whispering soothing words in gentle tones, she leaned against the wall and rode out her own emotions for a moment as she realised that her suspicions were more than likely to be correct, Kara had experienced some form of trauma that none of them had known about. 

 

In her work as a detective for Children and Families, Maggie often came across situations where teenagers disclosed abuse years later, many times it was a family member or close friend who had helped the person come to terms with what had happened enough to get to the teenager to make a report to her and her team. One of the hardest things Maggie found about working in that team was that tremendous damage had been done before she became involved and her job became just as much about helping a person piece their lives back together as it was about building a case against the perpetrator. One of the reasons that she left the department was because she could no longer carry the weight of the psychological damage done to the people she was working with. 

 

Knowing that, in a lot of cases, a survivor of sexual abuse would either dissociate themselves mentally as much as possible from what had happened, kind of like a form of denial, or they would compartmentalize it in the hopes that they could keep the boxes in their minds closed up tight forever, Maggie began to wonder which survival technique Kara had employed. Or maybe Kryptonian minds didn’t even work that way at all and there was another way that Kara had managed to keep this secret from herself and everyone around her. She took a deep breath and rubbed her temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on. 

 

Maggie was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of water running in the tub and she sprang into action. If Kara was taking a bath then she would need clean jammies and a nice warm towel when she came out, so she went into the superhero’s room and pulled out some jammies and underwear, then she went into the apartments laundry room and pulled a clean bath towel from the clean laundry pile that she had been meaning to put away that evening before everything went to hell in a handbasket.  She threw the towel and clothes into the tumble dryer with a softener sheet and set the timer for 10 minutes, just enough time to warm everything up and make them soft, fluffy and smell good.

 

Stepping out of the laundry room and into the kitchen Maggie swallowed 2 painkillers with a swig of water for her headache and made a decision. She pulled out her cell phone, looking through her contacts she pulled up J’onn’s first and pressed the button to make the call, he answered on the second ring.

 

“Detective Sawyer, everything ok?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, well no, listen, this one has been rough on us all so I’m calling to say that Alex and Kara need a couple of days off so they won’t be into the DEO tomorrow,” she explained calmly, very much aware that she was telling J’onn not asking him. 

 

There was a pause on the other end of the line for a handful of seconds, “I sensed Kara’s turmoil and trained with Alex so I knew something was very wrong, is there anything I can do?” the director didn’t want to push but at the same time he had a duty of care to his people. 

 

“Not at the moment, sir, but…” Maggie hesitated, she certainly did not want to commit a breach of trust, “I am hoping that we will be coming to you for help soon, it is important that you trust us when we come to you. Kara is going to be in a very vulnerable position and she won’t like it, we will have to protect her. 

 

“Supergirl’s safety is always a priority to me detective,” J’onn stated and he tried not to let his umbrage at the implication that Kara’s safety was not always his highest priority slip into his voice.

 

Maggie sighed, “I know, I know that J’onn, listen I have already said too much, if I am right then we will all be put into a very difficult situation, just please support Kara when we call for help?” she was almost begging at this point and Maggie hated the plea in her voice but she knew she was doing the right thing. 

 

“Alright Maggie, when you need me, call me on this number and I will do everything I can to keep Kara and your family safe. Are there any safety measures we can put in place now?” J’onn asked feeling more than a little puzzled at the situation and just a touch uneasy at the distress coming through the phone line. 

 

“No, I don’t think so,” she said but then hesitated, an idea forming in her mind, “I might need to borrow Winn for a side project, it shouldn’t take long, but may seem a little...unorthodox.”

 

“I will tell Agent Shott to expect your call and make it a priority,” J’onn said easily.

 

“Thanks, J’onn,” Maggie said then hung up the call. She had a few other calls to make, the next was to her boss, telling him only that she needed to take a few personal days and that she would be out at least for the rest of the week. Her boss had argued that it was Monday evening and 4 days was a long time to be without one of his best detectives. Maggie had calmly reminded him that she never took personal time, that it was important and then she told him if he had a problem then he could fire her. Her Captain spluttered at her boldness but then realised that it must, in fact, be important for Maggie to be acting this way so she was told to take as long as she needed. Maggie’s next call was to Sam Arias, explaining that Lena had a migraine and was unlikely to be at the office the following day, could Sam handle things without the CEO? Of course, it was not a problem for Sam, she asked Maggie to pass on her well wishes to Lena and she ended the call. The next call was to Winn who was expecting her call, she told him what she needed and asked if he could do it, Winn’s response was that he  _ could _ do it but he wasn’t sure if he should do what she was asking, Maggie reminded him that Director J’onzz had told him this was a priority and as soon as he had completed the task he should let her know, she hung up the phone before he could argue further.

 

Maggie’s last call was one she had been dreading, knowing that this call came very close to the breach of trust that she had been trying to avoid with J’onn. Deciding that she needed to make the call for her own peace of mind as much as anyone else’s, she found the right contact on her phone and hit the call button and waited as the phone rang three times before it switched to voicemail. Their circle of friends had a system in place whereby if the phone was not answered the first time the caller would only try to call through again if it was urgent. Maggie hit call again and on the second ring this time the phone was answered. 

 

“YOU keep telling ME to have a date night with James, Maggie, so I did and then you call me, this better be good.” Lucy’s disgruntled voice came through her phone. 

 

“And knowing that I wouldn’t be calling unless it was urgent or important and this is both.” Maggie bit back just a little tersely. She couldn’t blame Lucy for the way she had answered the phone, she herself would be just as terse had a date night with Alex been interrupted. But Maggie needed to confide in someone and she trusted Lucy implicitly.

 

“Alright, hang on,” There was the rustling of sheets on the other side of the line then the sound of Lucy walking from one room to another and a door closing. “Ok what do you need?” she finally asked.

 

Maggie took a deep breath, “I need to run a hypothetical situation past you, off the record and I need it kept confidential, I think I am going to need you for a real situation tomorrow.” Maggie stated. This was not the first time Maggie and Lucy went to each other with ‘hypothetical situations’, the pair were used to bouncing things off of each other and it was for that reason that Maggie knew she could trust Lucy with what she was about to tell her, even though she felt as though she was somehow betraying Kara’s trust despite the fact that the blonde had not yet confided anything to her. “I need you not to react to this at all, you cannot take action and should this hypothetical situation become a real situation that you are aware of then I need you not to let on that you know, to anyone,” the explanation was perhaps too detailed but Maggie needed to cover all her bases. 

 

“First what is the real situation tomorrow?” Lucy asked getting into her legal mindset.

 

“All I can tell you right now is that we will likely need to keep Kara safe,” Maggie said. 

 

There was not any hesitation on the other side of the line, “You never have to ask me that, whatever you need, I'm here.” Lucy then went on, “Is the hypothetical situation a legal one?”

 

Maggie nodded, then remembering they were talking on the phone, not video calling she answered, “yeah, but it’s one we have probably never had to tackle before.”

 

“Stop talking,” Lucy interrupted before Maggie could explain further, “Transfer me ten bucks on your banking app,” she advised her friend and then provided the details on how to do so. Thanks to the miracle of technology, the transfer took seconds to complete. “Ok, and I have sent you an email confirming that I have received your retainer and I am now hired as your legal advisor meaning you are covered by attorney-client privilege. Hit me with your hypothetical,” Lucy was more business-like than Maggie had ever heard before. 

 

Taking a deep breath, Maggie started “hypothetically a non-human American citizen has committed kidnapping and a sexual assault or possibly multiple sexual assaults against a non-human child who was not an American citizen at the time but is one now. The victim is an adult now and I believe is about to disclose the nature of the...crimes to me. I have a responsibility as a member of NCPD Science Division to report the disclosure and apprehend and detain the suspect whether the victim wants this or not because the suspect is non-human. I cannot do that Lucy without the victims go ahead, I cannot.” Maggie didn’t realise she was crying until a tear splashed onto her top. 

 

“What species are we talking about for the suspect, hypothetically?” Lucy asked but she was already putting the pieces together. 

 

“Kryptonian, hypothetically,” Maggie replied quietly. 

 

“Well, hypothetically speaking, if the suspect was someone responsible for preventing terror attacks on the country, then you would be expected not to make a report to your superiors or apprehend the suspect until you had accounted for national security, that could mean that you had enough evidence, an official statement for example, and a viable method of imprisonment for the suspect. I would think, in this hypothetical situation you would have scope not to proceed until those conditions were met however if the victim decided never to make an official report, then you would not be able to detain the suspect.” Lucy’s mind was racing, she was trying not to think about the fact that they were talking about her brother-in-law here, she was trying not to process the fact that her sister was 6 months pregnant and she was trying very hard to be as clinical as possible because she knew that was what Maggie needed. 

 

Maggie let out a breath she did not realise she had been holding, “right ok, and what about Alex?” she asked, “I mean hypothetically if the victim was in her chain of command, is she bound to make a report under the US Army Code of Conduct?”

 

“Yes,” Lucy started but she was cut off by Maggie’s ire.

 

“She’s her sister though, for fuck sake, she needs to be able to confide in her sister!” Maggie snapped back. 

 

“Maggie,  _ hypothetically _ , Alex’s duty under the code of conduct would be to report it to a superior officer, either me or J’onn. Would you see either of us taking action that would harm Kara?” Lucy calmly explained. 

 

“No,” Maggie sighed, knowing her friend was right, “No you wouldn’t” at that point the drier let out an angry beep to let Maggie know that her ten minutes were up, “Look, thanks Luce, you have helped a lot, I gotta go.”

 

“Maggie, is she ok?” Lucy asked quietly.

 

“No, no she isn’t Lucy, but she will be, and until she is then she has me and Alex and Lena holding her up,” Maggie stated with a tone of resignation that Lucy had never heard from her friend. 

 

“And me, it sounds like you have a long night ahead of you, I will leave my phone on loud, if you or Kara or Alex needs me just call, I will be there I promise,” Lucy explained

 

Maggie sighed, “Thanks Lucy,” and ended the call, sliding her phone into her pocket she took the clothes and towel out of the dryer and folded them before heading back to the bathroom and knocking as gently on the door as she could. “It’s Maggie, I’ve brought a warm towel and clean jammies for Kara,” she called through the door. 

 

Alex opened the door and Maggie caught a glimpse of Kara hugging her knees in a bubble bath, “Thanks babe, can you grab me clean sweats as well?” Alex asked. Maggie nodded, handed over the towel and jammies and headed to their bedroom to grab clean sweats for her girlfriend. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the reviews


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for this chapter:  
> Non-detailed discussion of sexual abuse of a minor
> 
> I'm a little nervous about this one so please do let me know your thoughts

Maggie was sitting on the couch when Alex led Kara by the hand from the bathroom back out to the living room and joined her partner, leaving a gap between the two for Kara to sit safely nestled in the middle. Maggie reached over and gently rubbed Kara’s back noting that the blonde was still quite upset, she glanced at Alex, letting her know that she was letting the agent take the lead. 

 

“Lena?” Alex asked.

 

“Out like a light halfway through 'The Dinosaurs Who Came to Tea',” Maggie explained, “she asked me to tell you both goodnight.”

 

Kara nodded, the first indication that she was even listening to the other two on the couch. 

 

Alex took that as a positive sign and reached over, slipping her hand into Kara’s and gently squeezed it, “Kara, we love you,” she started.

 

“Love you too,” Kara’s quiet reply came back.

 

“Can you tell Maggie and I if you are big or little right now? We don’t mind which it is, we just want to be sure ok?” Alex asked.

 

Kara seemed to curl in on herself as she whispered, “stuck little.”

 

Maggie had suspected as much but it was good to have it confirmed. She wasn’t sure if that made this harder or easier, to be honest, she wanted to not be in this situation with her family at all.

 

The redhead nodded, “That’s ok baby, you don’t need to be big right now, but we do need to talk about why you got so upset because we need to make sure that you are ok.” 

 

The blonde whimpered and, to Alex’s astonishment, Kara turned away from her and huddled into Maggie, though she did not let go of the elder Danvers’s hand. 

 

“We’ve got you Kid,” Maggie reassured as she caught a look of hurt flash across Alex’s face, “you know you can tell me and your sister anything right?”

 

Kara shook her head vigorously in denial, tears splashing down her cheeks onto Maggie’s top, “no,” she let out plaintively.

 

Alex squeezed her sister’s hand again, “Oh you can baby, you can always tell us anything, we will listen and we will help you and we will never judge you.” she offered as reassurance. 

 

Kara remained silent so Maggie decided to try a different tack, “I heard you crying so hard in the bathroom Kid, can you tell us what had you so upset?”

 

Silence hung between the three on the couch for a few moments before Kara tentatively broke it, “I could feel him,” she whispered.

 

Closing her eyes Alex let suspicion become knowledge and pushed her anger deep down so that it would not come out as she spoke, “Who could you feel baby?”

 

“Kal-El,” came the response, so quiet that Maggie and Alex had to strain to even hear it. 

 

“You are safe Kid, I promise, you are safe here with Alex, Lena and I,” Maggie swore.

 

“Did he hurt you, Kara?” Alex asked directly, figuring the bandaid approach would be best now.

 

Kara shook her head indicating that he had not but the quiver of her lips and the hot tears on her face told a different story. At that moment she looked every bit as little as the tot that Maggie had put to bed, but in fact, Kara had never regressed below the age of 12, something that Maggie added to the list of things she wanted to raise to Alex. 

 

“Ok, if he didn’t hurt you did, he scare you Kid?” Maggie asked

 

Kara thought this over for a minute and then nodded, “scared” she confirmed.

 

Maggie knew that sexual abuse could be confusing for children because they could not label something as hurt when they did not feel physical pain, but they could always identify the fear. 

 

“You are doing so well Kara,” Alex advised, “can you tell us how Kal-El was scaring you?”

 

“Promised not to!” Kara wailed, “It’s a secret, humans wouldn’t understand, we will get in trouble.” and with that, the girl dissolved into sobs.

 

Maggie hugged Kara close to her while Alex whispered reassurances into Kara’s ear and kept gently squeezing her little sister’s hand. Catching each other's glances over Kara’s head Maggie could read the murderous intent in Alex’s eyes however the redhead was doing an admirable job of keeping that anger out of her voice. 

 

“Ok Kara, that’s ok, you don’t have to tell us, but if a promise is hurting you then it is ok to get help with it. No matter what you tell me, you aren’t going to get in trouble ok?” Alex soothed, “I am your sister, I will understand whatever you tell me and I will help you to understand too, but if you don’t want to then that’s ok too.”

 

Kara sobbed for a few moments longer, but then once she calmed a little she turned away from Maggie and threw herself at Alex, “‘M sorry.”

 

Alex took the sobbing mass into her arms, “You have nothing to be sorry about baby,” she comforted and gently placed a kiss on Kara’s head. 

The three sat in silence for a while letting Kara cry herself to sleep in Alex’s arms with Maggie rubbing soothing circles into her back. Once the blonde’s breathing had evened out Alex got to her feet and carried Kara through to her bedroom. Maggie proceeded Alex into the room and pulled down the covers so that they could place the sleeping child into her bed. They both tucked Kara into bed and turned on the lamp by the bed, Kara did not have a nightlight, but the women figured having such an upsetting evening may lead to Kara wakening in the night and the light would help her to orient herself. 

 

The two women retreated back to the couch, Maggie sitting first and opening her arms out to her lover, offering to hold her as she had held her little sister not moments before. They both sat in an almost stunned silence as they tried to process the facts as they knew them. 

 

“She said he didn't hurt her,” Alex said and the confusion was evident in her voice. 

 

“With kids, hurt means to cause pain, sometimes if an act doesn’t cause physical pain then they are not able to identify it as being hurt, that’s why she is saying he didn’t hurt her. Whatever he did to her though, he scared her, she felt real fear and I could see real fear in her as she ran to the bathroom, she also said she could ‘feel him’ so he touched her and it frightened her.” Maggie explained

 

Alex wiped angrily at the tears streaming down her face, “She threw up in the bathroom,” she stated.  

 

Maggie thought about that for a moment, “I think that something the Boxer did triggered a body memory in Kara and she has been riding it out since the attack. I think something in that fight was similar to what Kal-El did and it brought back to the surface everything she stuffed down as a kid.”

 

“And now she cannot escape the memory because her own body won’t let her,” Alex surmised.

 

“Yeah,” Maggie agreed.

 

“How do we help her Maggie?” Alex asked.

 

“We love her, we tell her she is not in trouble, we teach her that hurt doesn’t need to mean physical pain and we tell Kara when she is big that we know. She will hate it, deny it even, and feel incredibly vulnerable, but we cannot cover this up anymore. We have to help her feel safe enough to talk about it with us.” Maggie advised.

 

“Why?” Alex knew the answer, she knew that to help her sister heal then they needed to face this head-on, but a part of her didn’t want to. 

 

“For your sister to heal, to prevent her from being hurt again in the future by him or anyone else and to help her to stop blaming herself for something that is not her fault,” Maggie said before continuing, “but also to protect other little girls, Lois is six months pregnant and has no idea what the father of her child is capable of, not to mention Superman is around kids all the time, what if he is preying on other little girls?”

 

For a moment Maggie let her fear get the better of her and she felt her own panic rise up before she squashed it down, deal with the here and now she told herself and she pulled Alex tighter against her. 

 

“I know,” Alex admitted reluctantly, “she is so scared and I feel like we are making her that scared by pushing her.”

 

Maggie leaned forward and kissed her girlfriend, “I know that it feels that way but we are pushing her so that we can help her, otherwise she will keep exhausting herself with these body memories and the effort of denying what we now all know to be the truth will slowly kill her,” she explained.

 

Alex closed her eyes, in that moment she hated Maggie for being so calm, for talking common sense into them both, for telling her the things she already knew herself but wanted to deny, sighing Alex relented, “Which one do you think will wake up first?” she asked.

 

“Kara,” Maggie answered without hesitation, “she has had the most rest, whereas Lena is exhausted and will likely sleep through the night, though one of us should get her up to pee or she will wet the bed and none of us needs to deal with that just now.” 

 

Nodding in acknowledgement, Alex got up to go and take the tot to the bathroom, as she climbed to her feet though she was aware of Maggie getting up as well and beginning to tidy away the uneaten pizza and potstickers that had been abandoned earlier on in the evening. Alex wandered to Lena’s room and pushed the door open wider so that she could slip in and perched herself on the edge of the bed.

 

“Lena, time to go, potty sweetheart,” Alex called out as she pulled down the covers and rubbed her hand on Lena’s back, she was rewarded with a whine from the sleeping form but smiled as Lena leaned back into the hand on her back. “Come on, if you go potty real quick you can get back into bed and go back to sleep,” 

 

Sitting up, though her eyes were still closed, hair sticking out every which way, Lena yawned and redoubled her whining efforts, “I don’t gotta go, Alex,” she answered.

 

“Oh I know sweetheart but can you try for me so you can get a good nights sleep?” Alex asked, this negotiation being familiar to both child and adult alike.

 

“‘Kay,” Lena answered and pushed herself to her feet and headed to the bathroom of the apartment, Alex close behind stopping the little one from careening off of the walls as she toddled her way down the hallway. Lena sat herself on the toilet and Alex stood in the doorway keeping an eye out to make sure her charge didn’t fall asleep while they both waited for the magic to happen. “Alex?” Lena asked after a moment.

 

“Mmmhmmm,” Alex responded, again used to random questions from the sleepy toddler.

 

“Is Kara ok now?” Lena asked quietly. 

 

“Kara is in her bed asleep and she is going to be just fine,” Alex answered, “Now are you trying to go pee?” she gently reminded.

 

Before Lena could answer the telltale tinkle sound gave away the fact that she did, in fact, need the bathroom and waking her up had been a good shout by Maggie. Lena dutifully cleaned herself up, flushed the loo and watched the paper disappear, something she took delight in but had never been allowed to do before. “Hands,” Alex reminded her gently and then supervised the soap and water process of hand washing.

 

Lena yawned and headed back to bed, again, Alex following along behind so that she could tuck Lena in again, pulling the blankets up and sitting on the edge of the bed.

 

“Kara is my best friend,” Lena informed Alex through a yawn.

 

“I know sweetheart, she is just going through a rough time at the moment so we are going to help her by listening to her and giving her hugs if she wants them and respecting her if she says she doesn't, right?” Alex patiently explains, knowing full well that Lena had already been very worried about Kara even before the problems earlier.

 

“Uh-huh,” came the response through another yawn, “I will even let her do my hair like she’s always asking.”

 

Alex smiled, “Well Kara will like that I think. Time for sleep now,”

 

“Can we go to the museum in the morning Alex?” Lena asked in a sleepy voice.

 

“We can discuss it in the morning but only if you go to sleep,” Alex responds diplomatically.

 

“Love you, Alex,” 

 

“Love you to the moon and back sweetheart,” Alex told the child before slipping out of the room.

 

Seeing the light on in their bedroom, Alex thought that perhaps Maggie was on a roll tonight in the good ideas department as she too slipped into the bedroom and started going through her nightly routine. It was still early, but with the emotional turmoil of the last day or so and what was likely to be a gruelling day ahead of them an early night was perhaps not a bad idea.

 

“She ok?” Maggie asked, looking up from the laptop as Alex entered the room. 

 

“Mmm, worried about Kara and wants to go to the museum tomorrow, so overall I think she is as ok as we can expect her to be,” Alex responded as she pulled the covers down on her side of the bed and climbed in. 

 

In truth this was one of Alex’s favourite times of the day, having sleepy conversations with littles before snuggling in with her lover and just relaxing before sleeping. She revelled in the feel of the sheets against her and reached over to cuddle up to Maggie who had put her laptop away and pulled Alex over so that her arms were around her and the redhead could rest her head on her chest. 

 

“The museum again?” Maggie all but whined.

 

“I said we could discuss it in the morning, just for you though I won’t remind her, we can see if she brings it up,” Alex laughs through her response before reaching up and offering her lips to her girlfriend. 

 

Kissing the proffered lips Maggie smiles, “You are too good to me,” she laughs. 

 

The two women enjoy the moment and the joke letting the light humour wash away the stress they feel but it doesn’t take long for Alex to stiffen with guilt. Maggie rubs her arm a little, “Hey, it’s ok, Kara will be ok,” she reassures as though she can read Alex’s mind, “And I will even take pancake duty in the morning.” 

 

Alex scoffs at this, “Only because you don’t want burned pancakes!” she lets herself relax again. Not forgetting what Kara is going through but taking a little relief from it in the moment, knowing that the time to recharge herself will be well spent as she will have the energy to support the girls in the morning. Either way she will need the energy as if Lena is big when she gets up then time will need to be spent comforting and reassuring her and if she is little then time will be spent chasing the energetic little one around trying to keep up with her.  Regardless of whether Kara is big or little in the morning, she will need her sister and Maggie for the coming discussions. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Guys, I love your reviews and Kudos - please keep them coming.
> 
> I will update whenever I can


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No trigger warnings for this chapter y'all should be fine

Maggie stood in the doorway to Kara’s room and took a moment to watch over the sleeping form of her girlfriend being the big spoon to her sister. Finally, Kara was getting some solid sleep after many nightmares through the night that ultimately ended up with Alex in here with her while Maggie kept an eye on Lena. She had thought she had heard Kara stirring again which was what had brought her to standing in the doorway but was relieved to see that Kara seemed to be sound asleep. 

 

Closing the door gently Maggie made her way to the kitchen and started a large pot of coffee before taking her phone out and checking her emails and messages. She had a message from Winn advising that her project was done, she fired a message back to him asking him to bring it to the apartment. Maggie saw another message, this one from Lucy, all it said was ‘ **Eat a banana’** Maggie smiled knowing that this was Lucy’s subtle way of telling her to take care of herself as she held her family together. Maggie grabbed a banana and peeled it, taking a bite before typing back a smiley face. Instead of receiving a message back, her phone rang in her hand and she quickly answered it.

 

“How are you Maggs?” Lucy said once the call was answered.

 

“Kara had nightmares most of the night, Alex is in with her catching some sleep now, I am hoping they can get another hour of rest before they get up,” Maggie answered.

 

“Not the question I asked Sawyer,” Lucy fired back.

 

Maggie sighed and thought for a moment, taking stock of her body so that she could truthfully answer how she was, “I am...ok I guess, I mean we went to bed early because we were expecting the nightmares, I feel ok?” she answered sounding very unsure of herself.

 

“Want to try for a third time, detective?” Lucy prodded.

 

“I am pissed,” Maggie snapped out before taking a calming breath, “I am angry and I am scared and I am pushing myself to be strong for everyone because I at least have a fair idea of what is coming and it is going to be awful. Alex blames herself, Kara is twisting herself in knots, Lena has no idea this is coming. So yeah I am not ok, I am shoring up for a storm against Superman and it's going to tear my family apart and Kara, the innocent child who was so terribly let down by everyone on her planet and ours is blaming herself, she doesn’t even understand what has happened I don't think but she understands enough to think that it is her own fault and it’s not Lucy its NOT!”

 

Lucy let the silence hang for a moment, wanting to be certain that Maggie was done ranting, only when she was sure did she speak up, “You are right it isn’t Kara’s fault, and you are right she has been let down by everyone, but she has you and Alex in her corner now so I know she will be ok. Do you at least feel a little better getting some of that off your chest?”

 

Shoulders slumping in defeat Maggie let out a breath, “Yeah, yeah I do. Sorry, Luce.” 

 

“Hey, I knew what I was doing when I started pushing your buttons, I don’t need you to be sorry, but I do need you to take care of yourself, you are allowed to feel these things Maggs, but you aren’t allowed to internalize all this anger because you and I both know you can get a bit destructive when you do that,” Lucy explained

 

Maggie sighed, she knew her friend was right, “I hear ya Luce, thanks.” 

 

“I don’t need your thanks either, listen James is going to make a great big lasagne tonight and I will bring it over so you don't need to worry about cooking dinner ok. If anything else comes up that you need, ANYTHING Sawyer you just let us know and we will do it ok?” Lucy offered.

 

“I will Lane, you will be my first call,” Maggie agreed easily.

 

“Alright, I will check in around lunchtime,” Lucy promised

 

“Thanks, Luce,” Maggie said quietly.

 

“What are besties for?” Lucy quipped then ended the call. 

 

Maggie put her phone in the pocket in her sweats and began taking ingredients out of the cupboards to fix pancakes. Quickly combining ingredients and mixing the batter Maggie began to hum softly as she let her mind wander to the girls in their beds, to Kara, who had been suffering in silence for years rather than talk about what happened when she first arrived on earth. Kara who needed her sister and Maggie now more than ever to face the coming storm. To Lena, who suffered a different kind of abuse at the hands of Lillian, Lionel and Lex Luthor, who was only just now learning what it was like to have unconditional love, who with Maggie, Alex and Kara’s support learned to embrace her little side so that she could experience some of the things she missed out on in her first childhood. She was going to have to be strong for both the girls and for Alex as well. 

 

Taking a deep breath Maggie tried to stave off the panic that was starting to rise within her at the thought of all the pressure she was feeling, she put the bowl of batter in the fridge awaiting the rest of the family to awaken, while in the fridge she grabbed a bottle of water and a bunch of fresh fruits. Taking a swig of the water, Maggie let the cool liquid quell her panic and began to chop the fruits.

 

Lena cleared her throat as she approached the breakfast bar and sat down, not wanting to startle Maggie. This was a position she had found herself in more times than she cared to think about, not having a memory of getting to bed or the evening before, waking up in her little persona’s pyjamas in the Sawyer/Danvers apartment with a headache feeling embarrassed and ashamed of behaviour she didn’t even remember. Lena had kept clothes in the apartment to cover these eventualities and she had dressed herself for work, making sure her hair was in a tight bun before wandering into the apartments kitchen area, steeling herself for a fight over whether or not she was going to the office. 

 

Turning and glancing at the woman sitting at the breakfast bar Maggie offered her a smile, “Hey Lena, you sleep ok?” she asked though she suspected that she already knew the answer. Maggie reached up into one of the high cabinets and grabbed some Advil, shaking two pills out of the bottle then poured two cups of coffee, passing the pills and the coffee over to Lena, she sat opposite her on the breakfast bar. 

 

“I slept fine,” Lena responded but gratefully accepted the painkillers and coffee, blushing as she took them and stared at the counter before her.

 

“Good, that’s good, and other than the headache how are you feeling?” Maggie persisted.

 

Stalling her answer, Lena savoured a sip of her coffee, “I am...embarrased,” she answered finally. 

 

 “Well Luthor, we have discussed this before, there is no need for embarrassment, you did nothing to embarrass yourself.” Maggie explained before continuing, “Look Alex and I need you here today, there is something we need to discuss with you and Kara, I took the liberty of calling Sam last night, she is going to cover for you at L-Corp today, will you stay?”

 

Lena closed her eyes, here it was, she knew this was coming, they were going to ask her to stop being Kara’s friend. They are going to tell her that she is too much, that they can’t handle her episodes anymore. They were rejecting her. A tear treacherously slid down her cheek unbidden. She knew she should have planned for this, prepared herself for it. Gasping Lena tried to take a deep breath but found that she could not command control of her body enough to fill her lungs. She felt a hand squeeze her own and looked down at it.

 

“Easy Luthor,” Maggie squeezed and released Lena’s hand twice more before continuing, “Whatever is going through your mind, we are not rejecting you, we are not asking you to leave, quite the opposite, in fact, we are asking you to stay, to help us.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Lena brings her eyes up to meet Maggie’s as she wipes the tears off her face, “Ok,” she answers quietly.

 

Maggie smiles and squeezes her hand again, “Thank you for trusting me Luthor.”

 

“Is Kara ok?” Lena asks tentatively.

 

Maggie goes back to chopping fruits, trying to decide how best to answer Lena’s question, “She will be but she is going to need our help.”

 

“Oh, of course, I lo - like Kara a lot I would do anything to help. What is wrong?” Lena asks stumbling over the words and cursing her mouth for once again working quicker than her brain could keep up.

 

Smiling Maggie places a small bowl of fruit in front of Lena, “uh-huh I know how you lo-like Kara, and you should do something about that at some point,” Maggie teased, “but not today, today we need to be here for Kara, she is going to be having a really difficult time and we need to get her to talk about it because it's crushing her keeping it a secret.”

 

Feeling the serious turn the conversation was taking Lena’s back went ramrod straight as she felt a sliver of fear tickle her spine, “Someone has hurt her?” she asks though she is certain from Maggie’s posture she already knows the answer. 

 

Maggie doesn’t turn away from the fruit she is preparing, “Yeah, I think so,” she answers quietly. 

 

Lena shoots to her feet, ready to fight an unknown foe because she would be damned if she let someone hurt her family. “Who?” she demands. 

 

“I feel you Luthor, believe me I do,” Maggie responds as she wipes her hands on a towel and slides the chopped fruit aside taking another breath to calm herself, “but we need to let Kara come to us, at the moment all we have are suppositions and best guesses, let’s give Kara the space to come to us and we can decide how best to proceed from there.”

 

“But..” Lena started but Maggie cut her off.

 

“If someone has hurt Kara then the line forms behind Alex and me for retribution I promise you that,” Maggie reassures.

 

Lena’s anger is mollified slightly with Maggie's statement and she retakes her seat, however, it is not lost on either woman the amount of vigour Lena uses to spear a piece of fruit with her fork from the bowl Maggie had placed in front of her.

 

Nodding at Lena, Maggie retrieves the pancake batter out of the fridge and sets a pan on the stove to heat, “Pancakes Luthor?” she asks.

 

“Oh, can I get in on those?” Kara asks as she wanders into the kitchen, sitting herself beside Lena and offering her a good morning nudge with her shoulder.

 

Maggie stares at Kara for a minute, hardly able to believe that this person in front of her is the same person who broke down with her last night. Maggie shakes the thoughts away and responds, “Sure Kid, banana or blueberry?” 

 

“Umm chocolate chip?” Kara haggles.

 

“I don’t think that was one of the options provided Sis,” Alex says as she makes her way over to the coffee pot and pours herself a mug as well as one for Kara.

 

“You guys are the worst!” Kara moans but she steals a strawberry out of Lena’s bowl, “do we have more strawberries?” she asks

 

Maggie grabs a bowl of strawberries that she had prepared earlier for Kara and slides them across the breakfast bar, “so banana then?” 

 

Kara nods as she tucks into the strawberries in front of her while nodding thanks to her sister when a mug of coffee is put in front of her.

 

“Kar, we need to talk,” Alex informs her.

 

A strawberry hovers in front of her lips as the blonde closes her eyes and takes a breath, “I know, Al, but can we just have a nice normal no drama breakfast first? Please?” Kara pleas.

 

Alex looks to Lena who seems to be on the edge of her seat but keeping very quiet, she then turns to Maggie who is pouring the first pancake into the pan, Maggie decides to take over from Alex, “Sure Kid, we can have breakfast first, but then the four of us need to sit and talk ok?” 

 

At Kara’s hesitance, Alex steps over to her, “Hey, it’s not a punishment, we want to help and you have kept this secret long enough, please, let us help you?” Alex reaches out and squeezes Kara’s hands in comfort.

 

Kara’s shoulder’s slump as she accepts her fate, her mind telling her that this was inevitable, that it was only a matter of time before her secret was out and people would look at her differently. “Ok,” she acquiesces.

 

“We love you,” Alex reassures her sister then she steps over and helps Maggie with the pancakes.

 

Kara feels shame and fear wash through her at the thought of the conversation to come, she tries to think of a way she could avoid this, she hoped that maybe her sister would love her enough that she would see past the shame she felt. The blonde is pulled from her thoughts by a hand gently squeezing her knee, she follows the arm it is attached to and finds it is Lena’s.

 

“El Mayarah” Lena tells her friend. 

 

Kara smiles at Lena and slips her hand into Lena’s, maybe it will all be ok. 

 

Maybe.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks again for comments and kudos - I love to read all your thoughts :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is kind of long, but I couldn't really find a good place to split it without leaving it on a cliff hanger and I didn't want to do that with this fic, so grab yourself a cuppa and settle in.
> 
> Trigger warnings:  
> Discussion of sexual abuse/rape of a minor - I tried to avoid going into detail but please take care of yourself  
> Discussion of mental programming of a minor  
> Self-harm

Kara took a breath and began to clear the breakfast dishes away for everyone, silently letting her family know that she was almost ready for the talk that she was dreading. Despite her mind desperately clawing for a way out of the situation she was in, she had failed to come up with one, Kara knew that in the next day she was going to have to face her deepest, darkest secrets and she thought that it may cost her the family she couldn’t bear to lose.

 

Her mind was telling her that she had to run, fly out the balcony doors and not look back, she could cut everyone off before they had a chance to cut her off, that might hurt less. But her heart kept repeating to her Alex’s words to her, ‘We love you,’ and ‘you can always tell us anything, we will listen and we will help you and we will never judge you.’ 

 

Kara grasped onto the shred of hope that her heart was giving her and held on tight to it. It helped that Lena was being a silent but steadfast supporter, pressing her thigh against Kara’s as they ate breakfast, holding Kara’s hand under the table in a show of love and support, even sliding some of her strawberries over to Kara when she finished all of her own.

 

The air in the apartment was thick with tension as Alex refreshed everyone’s coffee. She was trying to be patient, let her little sister gather her courage and come to them on her own terms but it was becoming painfully clear that Kara was stalling, she never willingly took clean up duty after a meal and yet she was standing at the sink washing dishes as Lena dried them. 

 

Maggie reached past Alex and grabbed three of the coffee mugs by the handles and carried them over to the living room she took a seat on the footrest of the couch and set the mugs on the table according to where she thought the rest of the family would sit: Lena on the armchair, Alex and Kara on the couch.

 

“Come on Little Danvers, Luthor, it’s time we talk,”  Maggie announced as she waved the rest of her family over to sit with her. 

 

Lena offered a reassuring smile to Kara before taking her hand and leading her over to the sitting area, Alex picked up her own coffee and followed along behind them. 

 

“We love you, Kara,” Alex started the same way she seemed to be starting a lot of conversations in the last 24 hours or so. When she got a nod from Kara and heard a mumble that might have been an ‘ _ I love you too,’  _ she decided to forge ahead, “We know that Kal-El has hurt you, we think that it happened between you landing on earth and him bringing you to my house.” Kara was staring at the floor, avoiding everyone’s eyes, her shoulders hunching as though she was curling in on herself as though she was trying to physically protect her heart from the words her sister was saying. “I don’t know what happened or what Kal-El did to you, but I do know that you were a child, that whatever happened was not your fault and you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

 

The blonde was sitting between Alex and Maggie on the couch and despite the words her older sister was telling her, she felt deep shame at the topic of conversation. “No,” she let out quietly.

 

Maggie reached over, clearly telegraphing her movements, and placing a hand on Kara’s shoulder she gently squeezed. “It’s ok Kara, we love you and we just want to help you.”

 

“He said,” Kara hesitated her eyes looking around the room before glancing down at her own hands resting in her lap fidgeting. 

 

It was Lena who scooted forward in her chair, “Kara,” the second the name fell from her lips she held Kara’s attention, she looked deep into her friends' eyes and pushed down her own seething rage that someone had hurt her. Lena held Kara’s gaze, “Whatever he told you, I suspect is just lies, told to force you to hide his secret. Whatever he said, whatever he did, you can tell us and you know what, it won't change a thing about how we see you, it won’t make us love you any less, you won’t lose us as your family. I promise I PROMISE we will love you through this, we will still be with you and we won’t judge you.”

 

Both Maggie and Alex made sounds of agreement with Lena’s statement,  Kara’s eyes darted from Lena to Maggie and then to Alex and she held Alex’s gaze. The agent nodded at her little sister and grasped her hand, hoping the action would encourage Kara to speak with them.

 

“He said that the humans wouldn’t understand, that it was just for Kryptonians,” Kara explained.

 

“Do you believe that Kara?” Maggie asked and there was no judgement in her voice at all. 

 

Sighing Kara said, “I did, then.”

 

“And now?” Alex asked as she swept a lock of blonde hair behind Kara’s ear. 

 

Kara shook her head, indicating that she suspected what Kal-El had told her was a lie. She started to cry, not because of the admission, though it was the first time she had even considered this to be true. Kara had been working as Supergirl long enough to recognise her own behaviour as a victim, and also to understand now what she wish she understood when she first came to earth: that she had been taken advantage of.

 

“I didn’t know…” Kara confessed, “I didn’t know what he was doing was so bad.”

 

Maggie was not going to let Kara continue to entertain this line of thought. “Kara, you didn’t do anything bad, you have done nothing that you need to feel guilty for.” Fourteen years Kara had been on Earth, and that was fourteen years she had believed that whatever Kal-El had done was her fault and that she had been ‘bad’. This was not going to continue if Maggie had anything to do with it. 

 

“Ok,” Kara replied in a small voice.

 

“What is easier for you Kara, if we let you talk or if we ask you questions?” Alex asked not letting go of Kara’s hand because she felt like just letting Kara talk was tantamount to torturing her sister and she wasn’t comfortable with that. 

 

Kara looked up at her sister and there was begging in her eyes, she shrugged, “questions.” 

 

Alex nodded, “Ok we can do that,” she looked over at Maggie and gave her a nod as well signalling that she was handing over the questioning to her.

 

Taking a deep breath and not at all relishing the task Maggie began, “When your pod crashed on earth do you remember Kal-El coming to get you out of it?” 

 

“He was there as soon as the pod stopped, he ripped the canopy off, it was scary,” Kara responded.

 

“What else do you remember?” Maggie prodded, gently.

 

“The sun, it was so bright, he held out his hand to me. He told me I was safe now,” she responded.

 

“Did you feel safe?” Maggie asked.

 

Shaking her head no, Kara replies, “I was scared, but he said he would explain everything and then we flew and that was amazing.”

 

“Flying felt good?” Maggie asked.

 

Kara grinned at the memory of her first flight, even though she was with her cousin she can remember the exhilaration she felt as the pair soared through the air, “Yeah, even though I didn’t feel time pass, my body was stiff from being in the pod for so long, flying was so freeing, it gave me room to stretch, it felt so good.”

 

Alex smiled at the look of joy on her sister’s face, it was short-lived however as Maggie continued the questioning, “Where did you and Kal fly too?”

 

Kara pulled her hand away from Alex and began to fidget with her fingers, not wanting to answer Maggie’s question. But Maggie was a skilled detective and investigator, she had questioned enough people, perps and victims to know the power of a little silence, and she let the quiet prod Kara to answer.

 

Her patience was soon rewarded as Kara mumbled, “the Fortress of Solitude.”

 

“Do you know how long you stayed there for?” Maggie asked, Kara, shook her head, she had no idea, “ok was it days?” Kara nodded. “Weeks?” Maggie probed. Kara shrugged, she wasn't sure. Maggie looked at Alex before asking, “Kara, do you think you were at the fortress for months?” 

 

Thinking hard about the question Maggie had asked, Kara closed her eyes and thought back to her long stay at the fortress. She remembered learning English, she remembered many terrifying nights, and she remembered only ever seeing her cousin. What she didn’t remember was if the many nights were weeks or months so she looked at Maggie and she shrugged. 

 

“That’s ok sweetie,” Alex told her not wanting Kara to feel bad that she was unable to answer Maggie’s question. 

 

“Yeah, no worries Kid,” Maggie confirmed.

 

Kara was stuck in her memories though and was barely able to register that her sister and Maggie had spoken. It is Lena clearing her throat that brings Kara out of her thoughts and back into the room with her family, she feels her cheeks flush at the thought that she had drifted away but quickly tries to hide it but rubbing her face in her hands.

 

Maggie felt awful, she did not want to continue with this line of questioning and she knew that if she felt this bad then Kara must be feeling much worse, but she pushed on, “Kara, can you tell us more about what happened at the fortress?”

 

Kara glared at Maggie, she didn’t want to do this, she did not want to bare her shame-filled soul in this room with these people who she loved. So she tried to avoid it, “Kal-El taught me English, he taught me about the earth.”

 

It was then that a thought occurred to Alex, “Why didn’t he teach you about your powers?” she asked Kara.

 

Kara switched her glare in Alex’s direction, caught off guard by the question and as she thought of the answer she felt the foundations as to why she had kept this a secret begin to crumble, “My room had a green glow, he said it was for my safety as I adjusted to the yellow sun, I didn’t feel any different than I did on Krypton so I didn’t see it as an issue.”

 

Alex was stunned for a few seconds, then she had to really fight to stomp on her rage to prevent Kara from picking up on it, “He kept you in a kryptonite room?” she asked for the clarification. 

 

Kara simply shrugged, she hadn’t known that’s what it was at the time, in fact, she avoided thinking of her time with Kal at the fortress so much that she was only just now putting the pieces together. She was beginning to feel like a fool, “It couldn’t have been much kryptonite because it didn’t seem to affect Kal, maybe more like the green gym?” she answered uncertainly, unwittingly giving Maggie an opening.

 

“So Kal would come into your room sometimes?” Maggie asked, “Why would he come into your room Kara?”

 

“I had to stay in my room for safety, so he would come in to teach me, sometimes he would bring me food or a new book,” Kara answered defensively. 

 

Maggie grimaced, “so he kept you in the room the entire time you were at the fortress?” Kara nodded, not sure of the relevance but not wanting to put too much thought into it.

 

“What other reason would he have to come into your room Kara?” Maggie asked and though she was already watching Kara closely, she didn’t miss the flinch Kara showed at the question. 

 

Thinking carefully about her answer, Kara started to feel the panic rise up inside her, her heart hammering against her rib cage, her breaths coming fast and shallow, she had never admitted to this out loud, “He…” she hesitated, “he missed being with other Kryptonians, so he wanted to just hang out, he would tell me how lonely he felt on Earth, how we had a duty to each other, so we didn’t feel so lonely anymore,” she paused for a few moments knowing she was on the cusp of admitting her deepest shame but not knowing how to take the next step, a tear slid down her cheek. 

 

No one pointed out that Kal-El had been a baby when he came to earth, he could not possibly remember 'being with other Kryptonians'.

 

At this point, the other three women in the room were commanding their bodies not to react at all to what they were hearing, Lena was pouring love and support out of her eyes as she gave Kara her full attention. Alex had resumed holding her sister’s hand, her breathing even as she pushed every feeling she was having to the back of her mind so she could focus on listening to her sister. Maggie, however, felt nauseated, oh she could hide it easy enough, but it was there none the less, she swallowed trying to chase the feeling away.

 

“Kara, you told us already that you don’t believe that what Kal did with you was just for Kryptonians and the humans wouldn’t understand,” she paused waiting for Kara to nod her agreement before continuing, “can you tell us more about what it was that Kal did?”

 

Kara cried at the question, she wanted out of this situation but felt there was no way out. Oh, she could physically leave but she was certain then that she would lose the three most important people in her life and she could not cope with the further loss. Alex squeezed her hand and she thought she saw Lena wipe a tear off her own face, Kara sighed, was she now hurting her family? What were they going to think? Were they going to hate her as much as she hated herself?

 

“I didn’t know it was wrong until Mon-El,” she said in a small voice, imploring her family to understand. 

 

Her sister blinked at what she thought was the non-sequitur, turning to Maggie for some help understanding. Maggie ignored her fiance for the time being and focused on what Kara had said, “Kara,” she waited for Kara to look at her before she continued, “you were a child, Ruby’s age, do you think that Ruby knows the intricacies of right and wrong about all things?” Kara shook her head, following Maggie’s line of thought curiously, “that’s right,” Maggie continued, “Ruby is still learning and she has all of us watching out for her and protecting her. The only person you had to help you learn about right and wrong was Kal so if he told you something was ok, that it was good, then you had no choice to believe him. You have done nothing wrong,” Maggie cautiously placed her hand on Kara’s ankle resting on the couch, “It’s ok that you didn’t know because you were following what the only adult around you told you was the right path.”

 

Kara stared at Maggie, letting her words process before responding and a very small quiet voice, “I didn’t like it but Mother and Father said that I had to look after Kal and he said he needed it.”

 

“I know Kiddo,” Maggie responds, “I know and you were so brave, but it is not the job of a twelve-year-old to look after a grown man. You did nothing wrong.” 

 

Kara turned to her sister, “I didn’t want to,” she was begging Alex to believe her.

 

It was all Alex could do not to pull Kara into her arms and tell her it was ok, but they were so close and she did not want to have to put Kara through this again so she steeled herself and asked, “You didn’t want to what Kara?”

 

Tears were tracking down Kara’s face at an incredible rate now, the anguish and despair were so clear to everyone in the room as she responded, “I slept with him,” then she broke completely. 

 

Alex caught her sister as she fell towards the couch, she wrapped her arms around the crying mass and alternated between gently stroking her head as she whispered reassurances and placing soft kisses on the top of her head. Lena slipped off her chair, took up a post on the floor in front of the couch and also began to whisper kind words of love and support to Kara. 

 

Maggie kept her hand firmly on Kara’s ankle but kept quiet as she thought about what Kara had just said, it hadn’t been ‘he touched me,’ nor ‘he raped me’ she had said that she had slept with him. Somehow Kara was still taking the blame for what had happened and that made Maggie so angry because that kind of programming was just as damaging as the abuse, she and Alex and Lena were going to have to work hard to deprogram this line of thinking, but they would do it, Maggie swore it to herself that she would see it done. 

 

It did not go unnoticed by Maggie that, when Kara calmed some, Alex kept her hold on her distraught sister, not wanting to let her out of the safety of her hold, Lena kept vigil from her spot on the floor. They clearly wanted Kara to feel safe in this most difficult time, it made Maggie regret that she had further questions that she should ask. Just as she was about to restart questioning she received a text notification, pulling her phone out she saw that Winn was letting her know that he was on his way up to the apartment. Maggie knew that she couldn’t let Winn into this safe space at the moment, not that Kara would ever see Winn as a threat but Kara would not want this vulnerability to be seen outside of their immediate family. So the detective climbed to her feet and pulled the soft blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around Kara before leaning over and placing a very gentle kiss on her forehead. Straightening she whispered to Alex that Winn was on his way and she was going to intercept him and she made her way out the door and waited for Winn in front of the elevator. 

 

The doors opened quietly and Winn went to step forward out of the elevator when he was stopped physically by Maggie.

 

“Hey Maggie, I was hoping to see Kara to ask her about the next game night,” Winn said in his usual cheerful if a little clueless manner. 

 

“Now isn’t a good time Schott, you got what I asked for?” Maggie responded.

 

Winn looked a little crestfallen as he glanced at their apartment door while Maggie steered him back into the lift and joined him, stabbing the button for the ground floor. 

“Yeah, one highly illegal and somewhat immoral Superman tracking program, installed on this DEO tablet,” he responded as he handed the tablet over to Maggie and showed her how the device worked. 

 

Maggie followed Winn’s instructions and brought up the details on the screen, showing Superman as a red mark in Metropolis, “What about if he goes off-planet?” she asked

 

“This isn’t amateur hour Maggie, I’ve accounted for that!” Winn said letting a little offence slip into his tone.

 

“Good, good. And you haven’t told anyone about this?” Maggie pushed, ignoring his tone.

 

“Only Papa Bear, I don’t suppose you are going to tell me what this is all about?” Winn answered, but when Maggie glared at him he backed off immediately, “Ok ok, message received, if you need anything else I will be at the DEO?” 

 

The elevator doors opened at the ground floor of the apartment complex and Winn left giving Maggie a wide berth. Maggie pressed the button for her floor again and cleared the screen of the tablet, the doors slid shut again and the elevator slowly made its way back up to her floor. Suddenly Maggie punched the elevator wall over and over again with her free hand, letting loose a rage whose depths seemed infinite. As the lift started to slow down she stopped punching, taking a deep breath to calm herself and exited, heading back into the apartment. She set the tablet on the kitchen table and ran her hand under the cold tap, to wash the blood away from her bruised and busted knuckles and then wrapped a kitchen towel around her hand to staunch the bleeding. Taking another calming breath she braced herself and headed back over to the couch, sitting in the space she had left, she looked at Alex over Kara’s head as Lena whispered softly to Kara. 

 

Maggie cleared her throat interrupting Lena and then caught Kara’s eyes, “We love you, Kara, I am so sorry that this has happened to you, and make no mistake, you did not do this, it is something that has happened to you.” She waited for a beat, not expecting Kara to agree with her but she did see some understanding flash in her eyes before Maggie continued, “I am also sorry to say that we need to ask you for a few more details.” Kara gasped and flushed with shame, “I promise you, Kara, that we know how hard this is, that nothing you could ever tell us will make us love you any less, but that this will serve you better in the long run.” Maggie offered Kara her pinkie to signify the truth behind the words. Kara hesitated for a moment, then linked her pinkie with Maggie’s.

 

Laying in her sister's arms, with her best friend by her side and her other sister gently offering support through words Kara somehow found the strength to answer Maggie’s questions, telling in brief details how her cousin had held her in a kryptonite room for weeks and visited her room almost nightly to abuse and take advantage of her in one of the most debilitating ways. Kara explained to her family about the guilt, shame and despair she felt at the time and still felt, about how she did not know if she could trust the Danvers family because of it, that it took her so long to warm up to them that by the time she did Kal’s words were ringing in her head that they would not understand, so she put what happened in a box in her head and she sealed it off and buried it in the depths of her mind never to be examined in detail again. Kara explained that the Boxer sitting astride her had catapulted her back into the fortress of solitude, into bed with Kal and she just couldn’t control it. 

 

Once she had talked all felt she could, Kara snuggled into her sister’s lap and refused to say anything else, Maggie let her keep her silence choosing not to ask further questions and instead Alex and Lena offered more soft reassurances of love, that it was going to be ok, that they were all going to keep her safe. And Kara did feel safe, loved and even protected, safe enough that she slipped into her little mindset, needing a break from all this emotional conversation. Laying in Alex's lap she reached out and began to play with Lena’s long dark hair, Lena offered her a small smile. Maggie caught the shift too and got up and switched on the TV switching on Golden Girls for them to watch and settled back on the couch, letting Kara rest her feet in her lap and she reached over and squeezed Alex’s shoulder trying to communicate with her all that she couldn’t say. 

 

The three women silently vowing that they would protect Kara and make her feel safe and loved until the end of their days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was really difficult to write so I am interested to read your comments


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for this chapter:  
> injury from self-harm  
> cuteness

The small family rested in front of the tv for a couple of hours after Kara stopped talking and reverted to her little mindset, none of them ever moving far from Kara or each other but just watching the tv and processing what they had heard from their loved one. 

 

“Hey guys, can we talk real quick?” Maggie asks as she flicks the tv off.

 

Kara whines and tries to bury herself deeper into Alex’s lap. 

 

“It’s ok Kiddo, Alex and I just what to talk to you and Lena for a bit,” Maggie explains. 

 

Lena reaches up and takes Kara’s hand, gently squeezing in reassurance, “we are listening Maggie.” she tells the woman on the couch. 

 

“Right so Alex and I thought it would be a good idea if we talked a bit about the future and the four of us. Make sure that we are all on the same page.” Maggie tells everyone. 

 

Alex jumps in, “Kara, I am your big sister, whether you are big or small and no matter what you tell us that will never change, we want that to be clear. But Maggie wants to be your big sister too, play with you when you are small and take care of you when you are sad.” 

 

Kara sits up and reaches her arms out to hug Maggie, “Thank you,”

 

“You are welcome Kiddo,” Maggie says before releasing Kara and turning to Lena, “Alex and I, we want to be your big sister too Lena, we have kind of unofficially been doing the caretaker role for you for a while now but we wanted to be clear with you that you are family. The four of us are family and nothing will ever change that.” 

 

A tear falls from Lena’s eye and she wipes it away, reaching a hand out to each Maggie and Alex, she cannot find her voice but she thinks that her big sisters understand.

 

“Kara, as a part of our role as your big sisters means that Maggie and I will take steps to keep you safe, even from Kal.” Alex tells Kara and when she senses her sister's nervousness she gives her a reassuring smile and continues, “that means that we may decide to talk to Lucy and J’onn about the threat he poses.”

 

Tears raced down Little Kara’s face, “No Alex I don't want them to know, please?” Kara begs.

 

Pulling her sister into her arms, Alex kisses her head, “They won’t know the details and I trust both J’onn and Lucy with our family, they will love you still and they will keep us safe, I promise.” 

 

“Can you tell them?” Kara asks, “I don’t want to.”

 

“Yes baby, we will tell them,” Alex confirms before looking at Lena, “I would also like to tell them about Little Lena, just so that they are aware of the protection required, is that ok Lena?”

 

Lena freezes, no one else knew about her little mindset, her thoughts started racing, what would they think of her? Would they reject her? What if Lucy told James and people at Catco found out?

 

It was Maggie who stopped Lena’s spiral, “Hey, you trust us to take care of you, so trust our judgement Lena ok?”

 

Lena nods slowly, giving her permission for them to tell her secret, if Kara could be brave then she needed to be brave also. 

 

Lena got up to use the restroom, Maggie followed a few minutes after Lena didn’t return, she knocked on the bathroom door, “Luthor, you ok?” she called softly through the door. Instead of an answer, Maggie heard the door unlock, she pushed the door open and saw Lena leaning against the sink breathing heavily. 

 

Stepping into the restroom and closing the door Maggie placed her hand on Lena’s back, “I know it’s hard Lena,” Maggie told her, “It is hard for me too.”

 

“He hurt her so bad and she didn’t tell us,” Lena said as she furiously wiped tears from her face.

 

Maggie tentatively wrapped her arms around Lena and pulled her into a hug, “She is telling us now.” she consoled.

 

Turning in Maggie’s arms, Lena leaned into her, “I’m dropping,” she whispered.

 

“That’s absolutely fine Lena, it isn't a surprise so just let it happen,” Maggie responded instantly. 

 

What Maggie said was true, this amount of emotional uncertainty combined with Kara dropping an hour ago was bound to cause Lena to drop into her little mindset. Following the instructions that Maggie gave her, Lena did not fight the drop and a few moments later she was wiggling in Maggie’s arms. Maggie leaned back and looked Lena in the eye, a smile growing on her face as she saw the little. “Hey Little Luthor,” she crooned. 

 

“Maggie, tight,” the tot complained as she yanked at the collar of the button up Lena had put on this morning. 

 

Laughing softly, Maggie took a small step back and began to undo the top few buttons, “How about we go get you changed into something more comfortable hmm?” she asked the tot. 

 

“Can I wear my dinosaurs?” the little asked.

 

“Let’s go and see what we can find in your room ok?” the detective told her and before anything else could happen Lena stepped out of her shoes and raced to her bedroom. Maggie followed behind her, the broken parts inside her pressing together a little at the joy of looking after the carefree toddler. 

 

By the time she got to Lena’s room, there was a trail of clothes on the floor and the tot was standing in her underwear and was pulling on a pair of sweats. Maggie gathered the clothes and smiled going to a set of drawers and pulling out a t-shirt with dinosaurs on it. Lena skipped over to Maggie and began pulling on the bra she was wearing, “Help please,” she pouted up at Maggie.

 

Rather than unhook the bra, Maggie roots around in a different drawer and pulls out a sports bra, “ok we can take that one off but you need to put this one on please?” Lena continues to pout but doesn’t argue as she waits patiently for Maggie to remove the tight bra and swap it out for the sports bra, letting Lena fix herself to make her more comfortable once she gets it on, then pulling on the dinosaur shirt.

 

“Can we have soup and grilled cheese for lunch Maggie?” Lena turns and asks Maggie.

 

“You hungry sweet pea?” Maggie asks in response.  

 

Lena shakes her head, “not yet, but I am thirsty,” she tells her caretaker.

 

“Well let’s go take care of that!” Maggie says and she finds Lena’s adorable smile infectious. 

 

The pair head towards the kitchen when Lena catches sight of Kara snuggling on the couch with Alex and she stops where she is, “Maggie, Kara is sad,” she says and her little bottom lip started to tremble.

 

“I know kiddo, but she will be ok and until she is we will look after her, right?” Maggie responds. 

 

Lena takes off towards her room and Maggie worries that the little one is upset and makes a move to follow when the tot comes barrelling back towards her Terrence the T-Rex clutched under one arm. Lena runs over to the couch and falls to her knees hard enough to make Alex and Maggie wince but the tot doesn’t seem to notice, “Here Kara, Terry will make you feel better,” Lena coos and thrusts the stuffed dinosaur into Kara’s chest.

 

Maggie and Alex hold their breath, knowing that Kara is feeling low at the moment but hoping that she will accept the token as they both know that Lena would see the rejection of Terrence as a rejection. They need not have worried, Kara offered a small smile to the tot, “Thanks Lee, can I do your hair?” Kara asks. 

 

Lena nods and turns rushing to her feet and running back to her room to get her hairbrush. 

 

“Little Luthor, we don't run in the apartment,” Maggie calls after her as she goes into the kitchen and pours some juice into a sippy cup for Lena and plastic tumbler for Kara. Lena slows to a skip as she dropped to her butt in front of the couch, handing Kara the hairbrush. 

 

“Can we put Jurrasic Park on?” Kara asks Alex. 

 

Alex doesn’t have the heart to tell Kara no at this point and knowing that Little Lena has seen it before so she gets up from the couch and grabs the movie from the DVD collection, setting it up for the children. 

 

Maggie watches the two children from the kitchen and smiles at how they are together and again she wonders when the adult Kara and Lena are going to get their acts together. That is how Alex finds her a few minutes later as the opening scenes to Jurrasic Park are playing on the TV, Lena sitting enraptured while Kara gently brushes her hair and begins to separate it out so that she can practice different braiding styles.

 

Alex steps behind Maggie and wraps her arms around her fiance, enjoying the embrace and absorbing comfort from it. “I love you,” she tells the woman in her arms, “thank you for handling the questions so delicately.”

 

Relaxing into Alex’s arms Maggie sighs, “You don’t need to thank me for taking care of my little sister.” Maggie advises, “I love her.” 

 

Alex squeezes her grip around Maggie, “I love you,” she tells Maggie again.

 

Reaching up to grab the arms around her Maggie squeezes Alex back but is unable to hide the wince as the action aggravates the cuts and bruises on her hand. Alex feels the flinch and steps around the front of Maggie, examining her before her gaze falls upon her hand, “Oh Maggie,” she sympathizes. 

 

Maggie moves her hand behind her back, not wanting Alex to fuss over the wound, feeling guilty that she let her rage take control of her. 

 

“You don’t have to hide from me Babe,” Alex says and she reaches out and pulls Maggie’s hand out wincing as she catches sight of the battered hand. “You really did a number on this, come and sit,” she tells Maggie leading her over to sit at the table.  

 

Alex grabbed the first aid kit from the kitchen and tends to Maggie’s hand, cleaning up the cuts and adding a touch of antiseptic cream. Once the cuts are clean she retrieves an ice pack from the freezer and she gently settles it over her fiance’s wounded hand. 

 

“Kara, can you come over here for one minute?” Alex calls.

 

The blonde jumps up from the couch and appears by Alex’s side, “Yeah?”

 

Smiling at Kara, Alex leans over and kisses Kara’s head, “You are a good girl,” she tells her little sister. “Maggie hurt her hand, can you x-ray it and tell me if anything is broken?” 

 

Frowning, Kara turns to Maggie who is looking more than a little sheepish and then her eyes drift to the ice pack. Maggie goes to remove the ice but Kara tells her to stop by raising her hand and smiles, “I can x-ray through the ice,” and so she does.

 

Kara winces at what she sees and turns to Alex holding up her own hand, “There are three fractures,” she explains and points to her pinkie, and then two of the smaller bones in the wrist that are in line with her pinkie finger. Kara turns back to the detective, “I’m sorry,” she tells her.

 

“You did nothing wrong Kiddo, I promise,” Maggie tells her.

 

Shrugging, Kara replies, “Sometimes when I am mad I punch things too Maggie, but I am invulnerable, so next time, punch a heavy bag or something ok?”

 

Maggie chuckles, “thanks kid, I will do that.” Kara nods and returns to playing with Lena’s hair.

 

Maggie moves to get up but Alex gently pushes her back into her seat, “stay there and let me take care of you,” she tells her fiance, as she roots through the first aid kit for a bandage to wrap Maggie’s wrist.

 

Just as Alex is finishing up Maggie’s phone rings, Maggie awkwardly fishes out her phone and sees that it is Lucy calling. Maggie flicks her gaze to her now wounded hand and then back at the phone and then pushes the phone towards Alex, “I can’t,”

 

Alex picks up the phone, “Hi Lucy, it’s Alex, Maggie can’t come to the phone because she is embarrassed about breaking her fist punching a wall.” 

 

“Hi Alex,” Lucy answers chuckling, “Tell Maggie I still love her,” Alex flicks her gaze towards Maggie who can hear Lucy through the phone and shoots her a grin and a wink. “So things are going that well over there?” 

 

Alex takes a breath, she isn't sure what Lucy knows but she knows that Maggie and Lucy have a strong friendship and they hold each other up. “We have had an emotional morning, the girls are in their little mindsets now having had enough and they are happily watching Jurrasic Park,” Alex explains as she flicks her gaze at the littles in front of the tv. 

 

“Well JP is always a favourite,” Lucy laughs, “and you and Maggie?”

 

“We are supporting each other, getting ready to fix some lunch,” Alex responds.

 

“Did Maggie let you know that James and I are bringing lasagne later for dinner?” Lucy asks

 

“She did, that’s a great help, but,” Alex hesitates, “Luce maybe it’s best if James doesn’t come, I think too many people might be overwhelming.”

 

“It’s fine, whatever is best for Kara,” Lucy tells Alex without hesitation. 

 

Alex closes her eyes feeling guilty for the millisecond that she doubted Lucy would understand, “Thank you,” she whispers, “Umm, I guess I need to talk to you, as my line manager.” 

 

“Well, I have a slot free on my calendar on Friday afternoon?” Lucy deadpans.

 

Alex thinks for a moment, Lucy knows what she needs to discuss with her is important, yet she is pushing the meeting back until Friday.

 

“Alex, you know you can talk to me anytime about anything if you want it sooner than obviously, I will make the time. If you want to make an official report to me about one of your subordinates though let’s do it on Friday afternoon.” Lucy explains.

 

“I trust you, Lucy,” Alex tells her, though she didn’t understand her statement was true.

 

Lucy smiled on the other end of the phone, “Is there anything else you need me to bring over this evening?” 

 

Thinking for a moment, “If you are at the DEO could you ask Dr Hamilton for a left-handed guttural splint and some cohesive wrappings?” she requests, she wants to wrap Maggie’s wrist properly but knew that there was no chance of their family leaving to go get it checked out.

 

Whistling, Lucy sighs, “Maggie broke her hand good, huh?” 

 

“Yep, but it was understandable,” Alex explains and she squeezes Maggie's shoulder.

 

“Hmmm ok I can grab that, and what about you Alex? What do you need?” She asks her friend.

 

“Oh, I’m...I am fine,” Alex stutters not wanting to examine her own emotions too closely.

 

Lucy teases back “Uh-huh, real convincing Danvers,”

 

“Well there is one thing you could do for us when you come over can you sit with the little for a while so Maggie and I can have a few moments together to talk about how we move forward from here?” Alex asks and the whole time she is talking she is holding Maggie’s eyes.

 

Nodding at her fiance, Maggie reaches over and grabs Alex’s hand and squeezes, offering her a smile.

 

Lucy grins, “Little Lena AND Little Kara together! I am so excited! I have the perfect activity to do with both of them!” she exclaims excitedly.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy to hear your thoughts on this.


End file.
